half•alive’s Give Me Your Shoulders Tour Is More Than A Concert, It’s Art
Date: March 7th, 2022
Venue: Lincoln Theatre
Washington, DC
What’s up, everyone? Derek here, a.k.a. The Photographic Ginger and I’m back again with another incredible night of music in our nation’s capital. The featured group for this evening was California’s own half•alive. The band is currently on tour in celebration of their latest album Give Me Your Shoulders, Part 1. You may have seen them on the road recently opening for Twenty One Pilots but when given a full-length/headlining show, half•alive truly allows their creativity to shine and prove why you’ll be leaving their show a fan if you’ve never seen them live.
Getting this night of music started was Alt-Pop Duo Daisy the Great. If you’re not familiar, the harmonies of Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker blend together seamlessly while leaning into their playful yet vulnerable sound. A great example is one of the earlier songs they played, “Glitter.” Following that was a performance of one of their very first singles ever released which has recently found new life in a collaboration with AJR. The song “Record Player” offers a catchy chorus and beat, creating an ear-worm of a song.
As their set continued they introduced us to their latest single that was actually just released. “Cry in the Mirror” highlights the group’s vocal range as melodic ooohhhs and yelps flow throughout the song. Before closing their set, they performed an unreleased off their upcoming album, the song being focused around the end of the world. The whole set proved they are a band you’ll want to make sure is on your radar and in your playlists.
The time had then arrived, as the stage was cleared off leaving behind three elevated platforms of various heights. Upon them were drums, keyboards, a guitar, and additional percussion. As the show began, onto the stage rushed two people holding a large sheet that spanned the length of most of the stage. The music began and lights illuminated the silhouettes of the band from behind as the song “Tip Toes” played.
As the song came to an end, the sheet had gone and it was time for the next song, which would be “The Fall,” during which lead singer Josh found himself signing a smaller sheet using spray paint to write the letters “GMYS”, meaning Give Me Your Shoulders, the name of the tour and latest album. After the graffiti art was done, they bundled up the sheet and threw it into the crowd for one lucky fan. It was a fun start to an incredible show that would only continue to get better.
After a few songs, I realized I wasn’t just seeing a concert, but instead I was watching live art. This was clear as certain songs like “RUNAWAY” and later “Summerland” would take the show further with beautiful choreography that wasn’t just dancing but instead intentional movements across three people. Soon after, it was time for a little audience movement and participation as well as synchronized handclaps supported “Pure Gold” and vocal warmups between songs encouraged the fans to let out their loudest yells.
Then something happened that proved their talent and attention to the art form even more. Josh remained on stage as a single spotlight illuminated him and he began a monologue telling the story of his grandfather who fought in WWII and the ring that he wears till this very day which led into the song “TIME 2.”
Before the night drew to a close it was time to break out the big hits but not before one last vocal warmup with the crowd to get them ready. That led us into “still feel” before a fun experience with the live version of “Make of It.” Finally, for their last song, a blue tone took over the space as the bass and sounds of 808’s hit to the sound of “creature.”
Their North American tour continues throughout March before going overseas and meeting more fans throughout the Spring. Make sure to take a look at their calendar and get your tickets now.
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
