glaive Gives Electric Performance at A&R
You always know it’s going to be a great show when the majority of people in line are already wearing the headliner’s merch. It was clear from the get-go that glaive had amassed himself a proper fanbase to support him the past year of worldwide touring. The rising hyperpop star’s stop at the A&R Music Bar on September 17th for his “america is a place that exists” tour would be proof of that star power.
The show opened up with sets from Riovaz and aldn, both of whom brought their own unique energy. Where Riovaz had a more subdued club show, aldn came out with a neon green bass and heart-shaped sunglesses to play a cover of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me.” Both did a great job of getting the crowd pumped up while being fun sets in their own right, aldn’s performances of “glittr” and “precious” in particular being hits with the crowd.
The acoustics of the venue were surprisingly versatile. I had never been to the A&R before, and I was impressed by how well the small room could sound like both an intimate bar stage and booming underground club depending on the song. When you could hear through the crowd, you could clearly hear the performer’s voice on top of the deep low end, something that’s vital in a genre that’s all about high highs and low lows.
But the real reason people showed up was glaive, which was apparent during the second break, where as soon as the lights came back on, the crowd started chanting “We want glaive!” for a solid two minutes as the stage slowly filled with smoke and the band set up. Eventually, he sprinted on stage to a roar of cheers for his new single, “minnesota is a place that exists”
Before this concert I wasn’t very aware of glaive’s music. I’ve never been into the style of emo-soaked pop that he’s been leaning into more and more recently, but this show absolutely convinced me of his potential.
Aside from some prerecorded synths and vocals, the instrumentation came as a more traditional drum set and electric guitar, which drastically improved the music for me. It sounded like a rowdy punk rock show with some electronic flair rather than the overproduced pop I expected, and the style gave an extra impact to bangers like “f*ck this town” and “dnd.” Similarly, glaive’s singing voice sounded noticeably different from the heavily produced vocals on his recordings. Though a little rough around the edges, his raspy howls definitely fit the vibe.
The performance from glaive was nothing short of ecstatic. You could tell the young artist was having the time of his life on stage as he flailed around to the beat. Both he and aldn shared the sentiment that Columbus was the best crowd they’d seen on the tour thus far, and glaive noted that it was the first show where he felt “more excited than anxious.” There were more than a few times when he got emotional, which to me was completely understandable for a high schooler facing a crowd of adoring fans screaming his lyrics back at him.
If there’s one thing I took away from this show, it’s the wide difference between an artist’s appeal on- and off-stage. I knew I would like aldn, but glaive’s insane energy was a welcome surprise that really made the concert, and I’m excited to see what he has in store if he can find a way to channel that punky spirit into the studio in the future.
