Show Review: Eliza McLamb @ Irving Plaza NYC
NEW YORK – Irving Plaza recently housed three stellar artists that pierced the crowd as their sets echoed through the room. Headliner Eliza McLamb had support from Addy and Sex Week to deliver this stunning gathering of live music on April 24.
Introducing the late Friday night show was Addy, led by Philadelphia-based musician Ada Paige. The gliding tone of the lap steel guitar played by Jacob Blizard distinguished this performance from others. It honed in on the folk sound as Paige’s voice complemented the guitar with smooth jumps in pitch. Addy eased the audience into the night with a gentle yet fierce arrangement of tracks that strongly reflected what the final set of the night would look like.
The room’s energy shifted when Sex Week took the stage, bringing an electronic rock sound with an alternative visual presence defined by the monochrome lighting. The Brooklyn-based duo, composed of Richard Orofino and Pearl Amanda Dickson, were joined by Lane Rodges on synth. Orofino’s guitar riffs and Dickson’s vocals blended harmoniously, with moments of intimate interaction between each other.
Dickson’s iconic green hair standing out from the black and white stage backdrop reflected the unique beats and mixes with which the artists performed. It was evident the duo was fully immersed in the music as Dickson danced with flowy movements focusing on each limb of her body and Orofino swung his body with the guitar during the intense parts of their set, which included songs from their latest EP Upper Mezzanine: Coach, Lone Wolf, and Coat.
Familiar faces came back to the spotlight when the folk and indie-rock main act entered the scene. McLamb is a Brooklyn-based musician who brought members from Addy to accompany her on stage and complete the backing band, even with McLamb covering keyboard, acoustic and electric guitar, and vocals herself throughout the night. She was ecstatic to come back to her hometown at the tail end of The Good Story Tour celebrating the release of her latest album of the same name.
Better Song, the record’s opening tune, also commenced McLamb’s live performance. Her powerful voice lured the audience into her introspective tracks, all while she wore a wide smile on her face while scanning the crowd. The various strobe light colors and styles accentuated the narratives that Good Story covers, as this album focuses on storytelling rather than only covering McLamb’s own experiences and emotions. The more upbeat the tunes were, the more motion and colors the lights had.
She had some banter with the crowd towards the end while laughing about not doing encores the way they’re typically done; she skipped stepping off the stage and instead directly started playing a few extra tracks as if her show wasn’t complete yet. While beaming about her love for this city, she jokingly said "Start spreading the news…” referring to the start of Frank Sinatra’s iconic Theme From New York, New York. That was the sign for the final song of the evening, Mythologize Me, a perfectly catchy finishing touch to the show, with groups of fans dancing like there was no tomorrow.
With the combination of genres brought about by Addy, Sex Week, and McLamb, the night featured a unique yet cohesive show for the audience at Irving Plaza. The room was bright and full of excitement and introspection—a great way to end the week in the city that never sleeps.
