Lizzy McAlpine Live At The Wiltern Theatre
As someone who is not exactly the biggest fan of The Wiltern venue, to say that I would not miss out on this experience means everything. The talented singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine took the stage in Los Angeles Friday May 12th and she immediately got the crowd riled up. I had never heard a show with a capacity of around 2300 people be this loud. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was singing along, dancing, swaying, and screaming from the moment Lizzy entered the stage to the minutes after the lights turned back on.
While I was expecting the fans to be dedicated, I did not anticipate just how loud they could be. Even with many of Lizzy’s songs being acoustic, on the calmer or mellow side, the audience and Lizzy herself were full of energy whilst jumping around. With each song, the crowd got louder. I would see people around me turn to their friends with broad smiles and state that “this is my favorite song!” at several parts of the show. The second they heard the first note of a song there would be screaming and cheering. With heart wrenching lyrics, smooth vocals, and an amazing sound, she completely took the crowd by storm.
Friday night was my first introduction to the opener, Olivia Barton, who I found to be incredibly talented. With strong vocals and utterly relatable songs, Barton was able to completely engage the crowd while riling them up for McAlpine’s set. She would tell the audience stories from her life with such a charismatic energy, it felt as if we were all best friends sharing our personal experiences with each other.
At 9 PM, Lizzy promptly took the stage at the Wiltern Theatre with the opening song of the night, “an ego thing.” Her stage setup was immensely cool and cozy. With a setup of dimly lit windows, a cozy couch, lamps, and posters it made the room feel intimate and comfortable. Essentially, Lizzy McAlpine had accomplished making the venue feel like home. She was constantly engaging with the crowd in fun ways, whether it was by pointing the microphone out to us, telling a story, or completely mesmerizing us with her smile and incredible energy.
An immensely special moment of the night began when the windows on stage began to collect rain drops while we heard the calming sound of rain and it started raining harder. It was time for her recent viral song, “ceilings.” With the heartbreaking and beautiful, fan-favorite song,
“ceilings,” the crowd was ready to sing their hearts out with McAlpine. Hearing the song live with the rain in the background felt like such a special moment between the crowd and the artist. Every single person in the venue was singing at the top of their lungs with bright smiles, and even some tears on their faces. This was a moment to remember.
Next, McAlpine chose to play one of several unreleased songs throughout her set, my favorite one, “Broken Glass.” While the style is still distinctly Lizzy, it also has new elements to it which show her growth into a new era. Personally, I am extremely excited to hear the new project when it becomes ready to release. When introducing another unreleased song, “I Guess,” Lizzy creates a beautiful sing-along with the crowd, after teaching us parts the crowd can join in and sing. After she hears the sing-along bit for the first time she goes on to say “Beautiful. That was exactly the way it sounded in my head,” to which the crowd screamed even louder. It felt like a special moment to be a part of.
The last two songs of the night were “Pancakes for Dinner” and “orange show speedway.” These popular McAlpine songs provided excitement and the room felt filled with love. Lizzy continued to smile throughout the entire set and shared her bright energy with everyone in the room. Everyone was jumping around and dancing with their friends to the more up-beat sound of the chorus of the last songs. It was a perfect way to end the night.