Review: MKTO at Freo.Social

MKTO at Freo.Social 
w/ harrykirby 
Sunday, September 6, 2026 

After strong demand from previous sold-out reunion shows and having not played in Perth for over a decade, MKTO were back and bouncier than ever when they played a sold-out Freo.Social on Sunday.

As part of their biggest Australia and New Zealand tour to date, the multi-platinum-selling US duo, Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, packed out the Fremantle venue, with the greatly talented Central Coast artist harrykirby joining as special support on the night.

Performing solo, harrykirby demonstrated a clear passion and enthusiasm for his music, delivering on his reputation for chilled pop and soul right from the beginning. Among the opening tracks was All Your Friends, one of 18-year-old’s unreleased songs receiving its live premiere, giving the captivated audience a special insight into his upcoming work.

It was easy to see why harrykirby is fast becoming one of Australia’s most dynamic emerging pop vocalists.

Alongside tracks from his debut 2026 EP, Written On My Brain, Kirby also delivered an acoustic cover of one of his biggest inspirations, Justin Bieber’s Sorry, which the fans loved. Towards the end of his set, Kirby performed Slow Down, the lead single from his new EP. The heartfelt track drew the listeners in and brought the set to a strong, emotionally resonant close.

After the interval MKTO’s drummer (Stephan Stanzione) and bassist (Corey Balsamo) came on to the stage to warm up, teasing the crowd by performing the backing to their biggest hit, Classic, but more of that was to come later on.

MKTO came out and the venue erupted. Opening with their 2012 debut single Thank You, which peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart, the pair immediately had fans jumping up and down and waving their arms.

The intimacy of Freo.Social’s stage placed the lively pair in the perfect position to interact with the crowd, with their enthusiasm evident both in their performance and the chemistry they shared with one another on stage.

Their performance of American Dream, the fourth single from their first album, captured this perfectly, with the majority of the room dancing and singing along. This was followed by a couple of pop tracks written for One Direction, Forever Until Tomorrow and God Only Knows, before Tony Oller took to the stage alone for the ballad Wasted.

It was quite remarkable how MKTO effortlessly changed the energy of the room so dramatically, going from high-tempo pop singalongs to an emotional, deeper song.

And of course the Californian duo finished with their fan favourite. With over 1.7 billion streams, the lyrics to Classic reverberated from the front to the back of the venue. Their energy for the finale was superb, successfully matching the anticipation felt in the buildup to the closer.

Overall, it is with no doubt that MKTO’s effortless stage chemistry remains as electric as ever. Their catchy pop hooks have lost none of their infectious charm, and the nostalgia of the whole evening was a triumphant reminder of the pair’s timeless flair.

JAMES HAMILTON

Photos by Michelle Honiarta