Last week I had the opportunity to catch Alex G at the first of a two night run at the Fox Theater in Oakland. The show was a part of a nearly three month long stretch by Alex & Company in promotion of his new album Headlights. It was also the first time I’ve seen him live despite being a casual listener for just under a decade. Alex was supported by Nilüfer Yanya, a London based artist who released their latest record, My Method Actor, last September.
The Fox is one of the best places to experience live music within the East Bay. Ornamented with gold trimmings and jewels, the theater, guarded by two faux-Buddha statues, was a great match for Alex’s regal yet grounded personal brand. This was also my first time here, and along with their ridiculously clean audio system, the architecture alone is enough to make sure it won’t be my last.
Nilüfer and her band were extremely talented musicians with loads of natural stage chemistry. None of the usual awkward tension that could come along with being an opener for an artist with a particularly dedicated fan base was apparent. Nilüfer has a fantastic voice, a penchant for delicate yet intense songwriting, and a well practiced group of players backing her up.
I had expected a good chunk of Alex’s new album, released July 18th, to be played. I did not expect the entire album, half of his last record, and selections from just about every formally released project under the Alex G name to be played. Alex opened with “Louisiana,” a track off of Headlights with the familiar sinister-worship-music style of songwriting quite consistently used in his music. I appreciated the inclusion of literal headlights into the stage design. I don’t find that sort of thing integral to the quality of the performance, but I thought it was amusing, at least. What I found even more amusing was how much fun the band was having – accordion solos, instrumental jams, and sermons on his love of Halloween preceding a ripping performance of “Brick” off of Rocket. Alex ended the night off with a 7 song encore that could have been a ticketed event of its own. I got to hear “Harvey”, a personal favorite off of DSU and a handful of other songs before the band said goodnight and closed out the show with “Southern Sky.” Although he played a respectable amount of deep cuts and classics, the insistence on playing new material was welcoming for an artist with such an extensive catalog.
You can find information on Alex G’s tour schedule at www.sandyalexg.com/shows.
Review by Ethan Scholl
