Indie bedroom-pop musician beabadoobee marked her second-to-last US tour stop at Empire Live last Saturday, Dec. 3, with support from rising alternative duo Lowertown.
Empire Live, located on Pearl Street in downtown Albany, is a mid-sized room for bands with a mid-sized following. It boasts a spacious floor with standing-room-only, ideal for dancing.
Sandwiched between MVP Arena and the Palace Theatre, Empire Live offers locals a unique taste of both upcoming and well-established musical artists. The intimate venue was packed from the stage barricade to the bar with highschool to late-20s aged fans, plus a few hesitant parents here-and-there, with no shortage of energy.
Beatrice Kristi Laus, stylistically known as “beabadoobee,” is a Filipino-British musician who came into popularity in 2017 with viral hit “Coffee.” Her most recent album, “Beatopia,” evokes childhood nostalgia with an MS-Paint or restaurant-tablecloth-crayon drawing looking album cover. Stuffed animals were scattered across the amps on stage, one fan even throwing a teddy bear to Bea halfway through the show.
Atlanta-based Lowertown started off the night strong with a spirited and punky set. In album sessions, the band has more of a soft, shoegaze sound. Live, they pull out all the stops and are nothing short of a high-energy garage band experience.
The songs were fast and loud with jam interludes by guitarist Avshalom “Avsha” Weinberg. Lead singer Olivia Osby encouraged the audience to go wild, opening a mosh pit, crowd surfing and spitting water into the crowd. Fans followed through, opening a large circle in the center of the already sardine-can-packed venue and going hog wild.
Songs “No Way,” “All My Friends” and “Best Person You Know” stole the night with the most jumping and chanting.
beabadoobee began her show after a quick stage reset and suspenseful audio introduction. After performing “10:36” solo, the band joined Bea and only added more flair to her soulful, soft and sweet singing style. Bea’s band kept up a late 90’s grunge/pop punk vibe. Bea’s guitarist and back-up singer, Jacob Bugden, complemented her baby-like pitch with a Billy Corgan-esque tone.
“The Perfect Pair” and “She Plays Bass” stood out with the most energy and crowd engagement. The audience passionately shouted the lyrics back to Bea while she maintained control, coordinating group audience jumps.
Bea frequently stood towards the back of the stage during instrumental portions, allowing for her band to receive all the attention. She shared her gratitude with the crowd various times, even joking about her inability to pronounce “Albany,” butchered with a subtle British accent.
Both bands’ sets were thoughtfully planned out, seamlessly transitioned and well-executed, there was never a “when will it end” moment like other drawn out shows. The crowd stayed engaged with electric excitement, loudly chanting the lyrics to the songs they knew – even the venue playlist pre-and-post show. The good vibes seemed to encourage both sets to go a little harder with each song, giving fans a night to remember.
After an hour-and-a-half-long performance, Bea and her band briskly exited the stage to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” playing from the venue speakers. Audience members stayed behind to dance along.
Lowertown Setlist: It’s It’s It’s, Debris, Scum, No Way, At the End, My Friends, Bucktooth, Best Person
Beabadoobee Setlist: 10:36, Apple Cider, Care, Fairy Song; Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene; Worth It, Together, Charlie Brown, The Perfect Pair, Sunny Day, Sorry, She Plays Bass, See You Soon, Don’t Get the Deal, Back to Mars, Last Day On Earth, Talk
Encore: Coffee, Ripples Cologne
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