Last night I saw Half-Alive with my friends Sophie and Freja at the House of Blues. This was my first time at the venue and my first time hearing Half-Alive. I can get how that seems irresponsible to drop 50 bucks on a band you’ve never heard, but I was motivated by something far more powerful than reason: impulse.
I really bought the tickets to see two of my favorite microcelebrities, Dev Lemons and NickisnotGreen who were the opening act of the show. When I got inside the House of Blues, which is more like the House of Overpriced Booze, Ms. Lemons was in the middle of her set with a sizable crowd in front. In between songs, her hyperactive brain would take over as she would yell random noises at the crowd while cultivating a stage presence that could only be described as “hilariously deranged”.
The warm-up act was Tessa Violet, an electric performer who ran on stage donning a pink princess-rock uniform that featured shiny shoulder pads and flowy streamers attached to her arms. Her music featured themes of heartbreak and self-resolve, and by the end of her set she made a fan out of me.
Half-Alive was fantastic. Their set began with the band’s silhouettes cast onto a large screen obscuring the stage while crew with flashlights would alter the images throughout the song. This innovative visual experience set the stage (pun intended) for a night of great music, amazing visual tricks, and impressive choreography.
MaxTalks 