Show Review: Alex Lahey Rocks The Troubadour and Reminds Everyone To Not Be So Hard On Themselves
Alex Lahey telling the crowd one of her many stories throughout the night.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JAZMIN LEMUS
First of all, I would like to remind anyone reading this that the name of the site was chosen with the intention of spreading positivity through music. And this is one of the reasons why I enjoy Alex Lahey’s music very much.
I discovered her on accident a couple years ago because The Echo out in L.A. had added her show to their events listing on Facebook. When I saw that on my newsfeed, I was intrigued by the name and show artwork, so I decided to give her a listen. I’m glad I did because I was not disappointed at what I had heard. At the time, she only had her B-Grade University EP out. The reason I did not end up going to that show at The Echo was because I did not want to go by myself. I should’ve gone. To my knowledge, this was the first show she was doing out here in L.A. I want to say it was in the summer of 2017, however I could be wrong. The next time she came back, it was in the winter of 2017. I couldn’t go because I was really sick. I remember I bought a ticket and I as much as I tried to make it out to the show, I couldn’t. I was bummed out. After she put out her debut album, I Love You Like A Brother (which ended up being my album of the year of 2017), I told myself that no matter what, I had to be at her show the next time she performed in L.A. The very first time I saw her, she played at The Troubadour. This was in May 2018. I was super stoked on that show and knew she was a must-see act moving forward. She made her return to L.A. recently on Tuesday, August 13th in support of her latest album, The Best of Luck Club, which is already an album of the year contender on our list.
Kingsbury opened up with a 30 minute set. Some fans of Alex Lahey would say that they share similar sounds. One artist Kingsbury reminded me a lot about was Now, Now. And while she doesn’t have a full-length out just yet, she managed to fill her set with music from her already released singles and EPs. She showed a lot of emotions in songs such as “U Take It Back” and “Blurry Now”. With a group of fans who were anticipating and patiently waiting for Alex Lahey, she was able to successfully warm up the crowd.
From the very beginning of Alex’s set, I was able to tell that in the past year, she has worked on her craft as she has gone off to open up for acts such as Jimmy Eat World and performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo. The first song of the set was “I Don’t Get Invited To Parties Anymore” off her latest album. The minute that song kicked in, I knew the set list was not going to disappoint. Her and her band immediately went off to continue playing songs off her new album, which included “Am I Doing It Right”, “Black RMs”, “Interior Demeanour”, and “I Want To Live With You”. Songs such as “Am I Doing It Right” and “I Want To Live With You” are the kind of honest songs that I feel really help an artist connect with people and I think that’s why myself and everyone else at the show enjoy her music. The energy from her and the band was honest. It seemed like they fed off the crowd’s energy really well. You could totally feel like everyone was having a great time and that Alex and her band were humbled by that. Of course, there was time for them to play older songs from B-Grade University, such as “You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me”. Talk about a throwback! Everyone was either dancing or bopping their heads! Sadly, we all know that all good things must come to an end. Alex finished the night by playing “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself” and more oldies, “Every Day’s The Weekend” and “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself”. When Alex played her saxophone solo during “Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself”, the fans went crazy and thoroughly enjoyed it. With the last two songs concluding the night, fans were no strangers to the lyrics. Alex’s humbleness shined when fans were fist pumping and singing with her.
The Troubadour was not necessarily sold out, BUT it was still very well attended. If Alex plays at this venue the next time she plays in L.A., I have a very good feeling it will sell out. For anyone who has felt down, defeated, betrayed, heartbroken, tired…this is your new favorite artist! Not because she wants you to feel sad, but because she wants you to know it’s okay to feel what you’re feeling with whatever it is you’re going through. The honesty in her lyrics will tell you it’s all going to be okay because when you feel what you feel, you’re just being human, and that’s okay. If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s okay for you to also be reminded you’ll be alright. Know that you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself either. Go listen to Alex Lahey and live the most positive life you can.
*To view more photos from the show, you can check out the gallery.*
Kingsbury (for fans of Now, Now; The Pressure Kids)
Facebook: Kingsbury
Twitter: @kingsburyxx
Instagram: @kingsburyxx
Latest release: U Take It Back EP
Alex Lahey (for fans of Ruby Fields, Alex the Astronaut, Gang of Youths)
Facebook: Alex Lahey
Twitter: @AlexLahey
Instagram: @Alex_Lahey
Latest release: The Best of Luck Club (Dead Oceans)
