By Dasha Musil
After eating some savory tacos at Los Comales, it was finally time to head to Thalia Hall to experience the one in a lifetime opportunity of hearing the one and only “Sandy” Alex G live.
Philadelphia-based musician Alex Giannascoli, also known as Alex G, is a multi-instrumentalist and has produced a total of nine studio albums throughout his music career. The stage had a backdrop of Alex G’s latest album, God Save the Animals with a bright blue sky and birds on tree branches, which had set the vibe for the night.
The opener for the show was Australian born, indie rock singer-songwriter Hatchie, and with her were two guitar players. Hatchie was playing bass and her set consisted of 90’s synth-pop revival that was still very relevant and relatable to today. Her music made me feel like I was dancing at #’s, one of my favorite night clubs in Houston. My favorite song was “This Enchanted” from her newest album Giving the World Away as it had a sort of graceful feel to it since the lyrics were being whispered and the echoing of the guitars and mic were intensified.
As her set came to an end, she thanked the crowd and Alex G for having her on tour. Soon the venue was filled with excitement as young teens talked about Alex G and how long they’ve been waiting to final see him live. Some individuals were intensively discussing which song they liked the most from the new album and were trying to predict which song he would play first.
Finally, Alex G appeared alongside Tom Kelly on drums and Samuel Acchione on guitar and bass.
Alex G was met with an eruption of screams and applause from the crowd as he played the cords to his first song, “S.D.O.S.” The vivid lights that had illuminated the set made Alex G look almost Godlike as he sang “God is my designer/ Jesus is my lawyer,” with dramatic vocal effects.
Most of Alex G’s set included songs from “God Save the Animals” and additional tracks from past albums such as “Trick”, “Rocket”, and “House of Sugar.” The crowd consisted of internet kids and music fanatics and their energy was matching his for the rest of the night. Alex G was definitely on a “Mission” to bring his musical innovation to the stage. The energy was ever-changing, and you can tell the difference in each sound as he switched from an acoustic song to a more intense autotuned song.
After the last set song, “Forgive,” Alex G left the stage, and no one moved a muscle. Soon “Life is a Highway,” one of his favorite songs to cover, blasted through the loudspeakers. He then appeared with the rest of the members and started to take requests from the crowd. Alex G played six more songs as the encore and performing old time favorites like “Gnaw” and “Bobby.”
Once the show came to an end, I was filled with so much joy as I had just witnessed the legendary Alex G live for the first time in my life.