Anson Seabra Closes Out "The Wonderland Tour" at the El Rey Theater

Every evening, Los Angeles lures ecstatic hearts into the warm grasp of a crowd listening to live music. Driving out of my small town and into the electric city is momentous each time as I blare set lists to amp myself up for a show. This past Wednesday, May 11th, I finished my last exam for this semester and made my way into the city to watch Anson Seabra perform his final show for “The Wonderland Tour” at the El Rey Theater.

When I walked in, the El Rey in all of its red-velvet and chandelier glamor was embodied by a crowd of all ages. The people were buzzing after watching the opener Em Beihold perform, eager for more musical therapy as they gazed at the white neon sign above the stage that read Anson’s name. The venue was packed as the show was nearly sold out and I quickly found a spot with other members of Unpublished’s team.

After a few moments being there, the intermission music went silent and everyone began cheering as Anson walked on stage, donning a captivating smile that he wore the rest of the night. He had this sort of smile that radiated gratitude as he happily thanked all of his fans for being there. Anson has a whole Instagram account dedicated to spreading self-love and he brought that same warming essence to the stage.

His first song that he performed, “Magazine,” introduced his emotional vocals that pulled at the heartstrings of the atmosphere. The story within his lyricism was painted as he sang with moody melodies and vulnerability. I had not known too much about Anson prior to the show and yet it felt like he was trusting me and everyone else there with his verbal diary.

However, he contrasted his tales of heartbreak by occasionally pulling out a book of “Dad Jokes” to tell. The show was heavily composed of him interacting with the crowd through humor by either doing “the worm” or gaining a round of applause everytime he drank water, creating a healthy balance between his melancholic songs and his playful personality. It felt like I was watching a friend on stage as I laughed along with the room.

Towards the close, a Peter Pan hat was passed up to the stage from a fan that he put on when performing “Peter Pan Was Right.” This song brought out the fantastical tones of his music that dabble in childhood nostalgia and growing pains. Hence the name of his tour, he transported us to a state of “wonderland” through his endearing words. The stage took on dreamy blue lighting and I felt the song put me in a fairy-tale trance.

When Anson walked off stage and the lights dimmed, he was guided back by the crowd yelling “Encore! Encore! Encore!” The lights came back on and he grabbed the mic stand, giving into the will of the euphoric crowd, and performed his song “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore.” With that song, he left us with the line “Do you remember when our lives were all so simple?” Leaving the El Rey, I felt enlightened by the magical and emotionally reckoning performance. My “inner-child” and I belted out his lyrics on the whole drive back home.