Two years ago, in March of 2020, bands were cancelling shows and tours left and right. Such was the case for Lawrence’s Hotel TV Tour, but the band has picked up right where they left off in 2022 with the Hotel TV Tour 2. Lawrence just stopped in Albany to perform at Empire Live, and the brother-sister-led soul group put on a show that was as advertised. The set was full of positive energy, funk, soul, and the crowd loved every minute of it. Lawrence opened the show on a high note, playing ‘Casualty’ and ‘It’s Not All About You,’ two songs off their 2021 album Hotel TV.
Fans of the show may recognize Clyde’s Arrested Development shirt in the photo above. This is one of many TV related shirts that he’ll be wearing as a nod to the tour’s theme: Hotel TV. Lawrence’s set had references throughout the night as they covered some classic theme songs from shows and movies like Hey Arnold!, The Office, and The Little Orphan Annie. Grace likened the idea of hotel TV to being a home away from home, which for kids raised in the 90’s and beyond this is often the case. And so for a chunk of the set, Lawrence bounced between nostalgic covers and originals, including ‘Probably Up,’ ‘The Heartburn Song,’ and ‘Jet Lag.’
After hitting the Cha Cha Slide, Lawrence moved into another string of originals including: ‘Shot,’ ‘More,’ and ‘Freckles.’ ‘Freckles’ is a standout song from the band’s newest album, and is a perfect representation of Lawrence’s music. The band’s music features lyrics with optimistic spins on relatable topics layered over upbeat, groovy tracks that are a joy to perform and witness live. After ‘Freckles’, Lawerence stayed loose with another cover, their funky version of Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy.’
After ‘Get Busy,’ Lawrence slowed things down with their ballad: ‘The Weather.’ The crowd got what would be a timely, quiet moment, before an upbeat end to the night. Lawrence ended the show on a particularly high note with a string of hits including: ‘Make A Move,’ ‘Do You Wanna Do Nothing with Me?,’ and ‘Don’t Lose Sight.’ The crowd loved the set Lawrence crafted and they jumped, screamed, and sang at the tops of their lungs all night long. The crowd eventually waited for and welcomed an encore that featured ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ and then faded out with Gracie singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie.
Lawrence are wrapping up the east coast leg of their Hotel TV 2 Tour in Pennsylvania. After two shows at the end of March, the band will be making their way through the midwest and the south. You can view all of their upcoming tour dates and purchase tickets on their website. In the meantime, be sure to follow and subscribe to Lawrence on Instagram, YouTube and Spotify. For all upcoming shows at Empire Live, you can view their website here.
Setlist: Casualty, It’s Not All About You, Office Theme Song, Probably Up, Hey Arnold! Theme Song, The Heartburn Song, Jet Lag, Cha Cha Slide (Mr C the Slide Man), Shot, More, Freckles, Get Busy (Sean Paul), The Weather, Make A Move, Do You Wanna Do Nothing with Me?, Don’t Lose Sight
Encore: It’s Gonna Be Me, Tomorrow (Annie)
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