Liliana Castañeda
News Editor
Alex G was a “Blessing” in disguise with the thundering singing of devoted fans on Oct. 23 at The Glass House in Pomona.
Alex G is a multi-instrumentalist most known for his lo-fi pop tracks but vastly under-appreciated for his intense midwestern rock-influenced sound. The backdrop on stage was that of Alex G’s new album, “God Save the Animals.” Colorful birds perched on tree branches and a blue cloudy sky made up the album art, which set the tone for what was to come later in the concert.
The opener of the show was Australian indie rock musician Hatchie. Her set lasted about 45 minutes and was composed of synths and kickdrums making the ‘80s synth-pop revival even more so apparent in the alternative genre.
The music felt like a glittery disco ball with the way in which the chorus tied songs together, and the synthesizer would come in and out of focus in the music. Her song “Disenchanted” from her most recent album “Giving the World Away,” had an ethereal feel about it because of the whispered lyrics and intense reverb of her mic and of the guitars.
The energy in the venue was relaxed and people swayed in unison to the mellow songs she would play but soon would begin headbanging to the intense guitar when it popped out of nowhere.
As her set ended and she played her last song, Hatchie acknowledged that she had never seen a crowd as engaged and energetic as the one at The Glass House that night.
The audience quickly grew excited as they saw the musicians begin to set up for Alex G and his band. The venue was full of excited chatter about Alex G and the anticipation to see him. Some praised his most recent album and some argued which song they thought was his best.
On stage performing with him was Tom Kelly on drums, Samuel Acchione on guitar and some vocals, and on bass.
One of the first songs he performed was “Runner” from his most recent album and with the catchy chorus and immediately recognizable guitar riff. The crowd blew up in cheers and sang along to the first lines. The song simultaneously sounded melancholic and jolly-like, the minor piano notes contrasting the simple guitar strums that created a conflicting ball of emotions.
Alex G continued to perform his most energetic songs, and encouraged people to begin crowd surfing, tossing drinks into the pit, and pulling each other into a wave making a mosh pit.
After every few songs, there was a moment of adjusting the instruments, and because his set was so diverse in pedal and mic settings and even the tonality of songs, it felt like there was a different artist every few songs. There was a stark and obvious difference in sound. He would switch suddenly from an acoustic song to a heavily autotuned song. His voice remained consistent throughout, however, with his soft throaty voice.
There were a lot of great songs the crowd swayed and jumped to from his 2019 “House of Sugar” album like “Hope” and “Gretel.”
“Hope” was a melancholic song about a fentanyl overdose that made almost every single person bob their heads and sing in unison to the lyrics, “He was a good friend of mine, he died.”
The abrupt ending to that song made it seem like it was a symbol for the abrupt ending of that person’s life.
The studio version of some of his music, like the songs mentioned before, sounded very tame. However in the venue, the guitars were amplified and so were the bass lines, giving the music much more power and energy.
The concert ended with one of his most popular songs, “Harvey.” Even as people walked out of the doors when the song was over the enthusiasm and excitement part of the crowd were still palpable.
For more information on his his tour, visit sandyalexg.com.
Liliana Castañeda can be reached at liliana.castaneda@laverne.edu.
Liliana Castañeda, a senior communications major, is the Fall 2022 news editor of the Campus Times. She has previously served as editorial director, arts editor, copy editor and a staff writer.
Natalie Medrano, a junior photography major, is the Fall 2022 photography editor for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
