Jon Batiste at the Bowl, From Monk to Big Chief

Jon Batiste's Hollywood Bowl headlining debut ran 26 songs: originals, covers, a Beethoven rework and Audrey McGraw on "You're No Good."

Jon Batiste's first Hollywood Bowl headlining show, on Sunday, September 27, 2026, ran 26 songs and covered most of American music on the way. It was part of the KCRW Festival.

He opened with "Worship," then went straight into covers: Jorge Ben Jor's "Mas que nada," James Brown's "Super Bad" and Prince's "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore." After "I NEED YOU" and "FREEDOM" and a drummers' solo, the set turned to jazz and the songbook with Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Audrey McGraw joined him for "You're No Good." The middle of the set belonged to Big Money, the 2025 album that won Best Americana Album at the 68th Grammy Awards: "PETRICHOR," the title track and "CRY," with an unreleased song between them. "Für Elise – Batiste" came from the other side of his recent work, the 2024 solo piano album Beethoven Blues.

The last stretch was a run of soul and pop covers: Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful for What You Got," Marvin Gaye's "It's a Desperate Situation," The Impressions' "It's All Right," Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." After "Butterfly," he finished with The Meters' "Big Chief."