Live at The Roxian Theatre- Pittsburgh, PA 9/1/23
Nick Hakim opened the event with his orchestrated indie-pop flair with chords that tug and strain the heart strings. The genre bending artist has been releasing music since 2014, with several full-length albums under his belt under ATO Records including his newest record COMETA released in 2022.
He performed solo on this tour, with nothing but his guitar and his vocals. The power and impact of said performance, however, speaks to Hakim’s raw talent and lyricism as the crowd was transported to his world of romance and reflection. With nothing but a dimly lit stage and his harshly toned instrument, he was able to enchant the audience with his melodies and lyrics. He also announced he will be joining Lil Yachty on his The Field Trip Tour beginning on September 21st.
After Hakim vacated the stage, the audience was met with a Cuphead-esque cartoon character of a phone projected onto a simple white curtain. The stage was lined with several candelabras, all dimly lit as the audience awaited with anticipation.
When the lights dimmed and the band began to play, the audience saw Weyes enter the stage a-la Phantom of the Opera. Weyes kicked the show off with her track, “It’s Not Just Me,” off her new 2022 album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow. She continued playing tracks off of And in the Darkness such as “Children of the Empire,” “Diary,” and “God Turn Me into a Flower,” the last of which she debuted a beautiful brand new visual by documentarian and filmmaker Adam Curtis.
She then took a slight break from playing new music to perform her 2019 breakout hit single, “Andromeda” off her record Titanic Rising. She continued to parade around the stage, interweaving older tracks such as “Do You Need My Love,” “Something to Believe,” and “Everyday” with newer ones such as “Grapevine,” and “Hearts Aglow.” She also made excellent use of stripped versions of her songs, in which she would have the band vacate the set and she would play the piano.
During “Hearts Aglow,” Weyes Blood did the unexpected, revealing a costume that quite literally made her heart aglow with a beautiful red iridescent shining light. This move had to be the entire highlight of the show as the crowd gasped and cheered with delight at such a cool and innovative set piece to the performance.
She closed the main set with the track “Movies” off of Titanic Rising, leaving the audience in a mix smiling with delight and crying over the moving nearly 6-minute long track. Weyes was not finished though, as she reentered the stage with a lovely skip and played 2 tracks, “Wild Time” and “Generation Why.”
Overall, Weyes Blood put on an amazing performance. From her beautiful gothic set design, to her amazing backing band, and her powerhouse dynamic vocals, Weyes is definitely an artist that is here to stay. The only question left after such a show is, what will she do next?
Review by Banner Reed, along with images by Madalyn Schaller. If reposting please credit @almostfamouszine & @madalyns.photos