In the last few years, musical artist Lauv has gained immense popularity. His first hit singles, “The Other” and “I Like Me Better” were at the top of multiple Spotify playlists. Currently, new songs from his upcoming album have been on the Top Hit playlists. Lauv’s mix of originality and lyrics about real life struggles have made him a musical icon and role model for many. This last week, he sold out three shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. After being a fan for two years, I had the amazing opportunity to go to his show Monday night and I was blown away.
In my opinion, Lauv exceeded my expectations as a performer. The Wiltern was completely packed and every fan was singing along to the songs. His setlist was jam packed with not only his major hits but songs that only true fans would know. He started off with some of his most famous songs such as “Paris in the Rain” and “Enemies” and slowly transitioned to his most recent songs such as “Feelings” and “Sims.” During the concert, he got personal with the audience by mentioning his battle with depression, OCD and anxiety back in January 2019. Such feelings caused him to craft the hit single “Sad Forever” which left the audience not only dancing around but also with tears in their eyes. He also played a song that has not been released about long distance relationships and how to overcome them. In addition, his visuals were original and fit the atmosphere he created for himself, his band and his audience. The rainbow colors, block letters and minimal graphics complemented the theme of his next musical era, which includes neon blue or blonde bleached hair, oversized neon shirts and promoting more pastel colors. It is clear Lauv has grown from his minimalistic aesthetic from his first album, “I met you when I was 18” which consists of mainly sad and happy love songs about a love interest, to fully expressing himself musically and personally in his upcoming album that is set to be released in March 2020. Additionally, he sounded exactly the way he did on his records and constantly ran around the stage to whirl up more energy.
Overall, it was one of the most energetic concert experiences I have ever had. I personally love the feel of a smaller arena such as The Wiltern since it creates a more intimate environment with the audience. I highly recommend for anyone who is remotely a fan of Lauv to make it to any of his future shows. I also hope more people will open their Spotify or Apple Music app and explore his music. In my opinion, his songs are the perfect mixture of sad, soulful lyrics with upbeat music. Now I will go through the videos I took from the concert and completely indulge in my post concert depression thanks to Lauv.