The Portrait Tour – ARANKAI – Grey Witch – w/Buffalo Farm

May 30, 2026 – Internet sensation and up and comer in the scene, ARANKAI performed inside Grey Witch with support from Buffalo Farm and Split Persona. 

I’m just going to get this out of the way first, but the start time wasn’t accurate on the main event and ticket purchase pages for this show. It’s one peeve of mine that throws me off, since I don’t always get a list of set times for shows. Sometimes it’s not really an issue, but sometimes it is. Door time said 6pm, with a start time at 7pm, which isn’t that unusual. I walked into the cute little bar/restaurant that is Grey Witch, (this place is really cool, so I’m definitely not throwing shade here) I could already hear the first band on the bill, Split Persona. But by the time I got into the room where the corner stage is set up, they were already on their last song, just before 7pm. So my apologies to Split Persona, I liked what I heard, and I wish I could have heard more. Hopefully I’ll be able to experience a full set from them in the future. 

Buffalo Farm

It took about 45 minutes for the next set to come on, which was maybe one of the longest wait times that I’ve stood through. I will say the Buffalo Farm was worth that wait though. Buffalo Farm came into my vision through some politically charged algorithms via Instagram and TikTok (when I still had the app), and I really embrace the rage in his sound and lyrics. Coming out of Austin, Texas, I couldn’t help but flashback to a couple months ago when I covered UnityTX. Buffalo Farm incorporates some similar elements, and coming out of Texas? Seriously? I am loving all of the rage and intensity coming out of those scenes out there. Consisting just of a vocalist, drummer, and a djent-ish guitarist, these three put on a relentless set. “FUCK ICE” branded on the back of the guitar lifted into the air during “Common Enemy”, and that same guitarist ended up climbing off the stage near the end of the set and engaging in a circle pit on the floor while spinning and thrashing around. I love that shit. 

Buffalo Farm is definitely one of those artists that is engaging the youth through diversity and rage, and in my opinion, this is needed. I look forward to seeing his growth and continued amplification of a needed voice in the scene. 

(Side note: political agreements are my own, and do not reflect on the entire ZRockR team, we all have all sorts of views and beliefs. So. There’s that.)

Arankai

After another 20 or so minutes, and a run in with one of my best friends from high school passed, when I walked back in from the small outdoor patio, ARANKAI was ready to take the stage. Now, my familiarity with Arankai is limited. I had seen some fun clips of him here and there online, and he is definitely a fun presence both online and on the stage. This was the first time headlining a tour for this specific project, which is no small feat!

I couldn’t give you a full track list run down, so I’m not going to do that. What I will tell you here, is that Arankai is a special force that had the whole crowd in a bit of a frenzy. Something about that long dark hair and chiseled features maybe? Vocalist Oscar Porter is pretty handsome, so I get it. 

Throughout the set, Oscar could be seen singing into fans’ phones, a cool touch, and making both silly and sentimental commentary. Early on a sentiment about his journey with faith, I’m not religious, but I can appreciate a good person finding their way within something like that. A small complaint about how hot it is here, (oh sweetheart, it’s not even that bad yet, haha.) but he’s from the midwest, so I understand how it could be a little bit of a body shock stepping into this dry desert madness. But what I really, really loved was the back and forth communication about the banner set up, the VIP experience, and the overall vibes of the show, which all design credits went to the drummer hidden in the back corner. We love a wonderful DIY set up. The love that goes into that kind of stuff is unmatched and you can really see it with how this all was set up. 

I didn’t mention that this show was an all ages event, but it was. So I was standing amongst a much younger crowd than I’m used to, but since Arankai embraces a lot of elements from hardcore, deathcore and metalcore that I really love, I wasn’t bothered that maybe I was a little out of place. I fed off of that positive energy that bled from the stage. I definitely had a few moments where I reverted back to my 19 year old self, practically living in small venues like this one, having the absolute time of my life. So there’s some added appreciation for making me remember how much fun I had as a kid running all over this city, chasing the feeling I’ve always gotten from this kind of music.

Arankai has a few more dates left on this run before heading out with Catch Your Breath in the fall/winter for a pretty massive tour in the fall. It’s a really fun time, so definitely go check it out if it comes anywhere near you. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Live photos by Courtney Ware for ZRockR Magazine – @2026 – All Rights Reserved.