Lostboycrow Overcompensates at Times, Glistens in Other Moments

It’s hard for an artist to be let down if he assumes no one knows him at his own concert. At least it was for Lostboycrow at his recent show at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston on Tuesday night, March 27. At this stop on the Northeastern leg of his Spin the Globe tour, the electro-pop singer opened his set by letting his audience know it was okay if we didn’t know who he was. These self-effacing comments were frequent throughout the show, and they provided insight into some of Lostboycrow’s musical anxieties, as made evident by his performance. Although he is talented and sings with an angelic falsetto, Lostboycrow’s concert was speckled with uncertainty regarding genre and his personal direction. He tended towards a more traditional dance vibe for fear of not engaging the audience. However, when he managed to rid himself of over-amplified electronic influences and stripped down to his bare voice, Lostboycrow connected with the audience and created powerful moments. His music resounded throughout the hall in an all-consuming way.

Upon entering, it was clear Lostboycrow would have to do a spectacular job to compensate for the venue’s deficiencies. The doors opened directly into the main standing area, but the space was too large for the show. The stage only occupied a corner of the room, requiring intimate contact with the artist to avoid distraction from televisions and other adjacent spaces. Through a hazy smoke, Lostboycrow entered the stage with an assortment of spotlights and vertical lights illuminating his all-white costume. From the show’s inception, there was a tension between him and the audience, as many of his actions felt rehearsed: He would, at times throw his hands frenetically in the air at non-crucial parts of songs, and he moved with an exaggerated energy that wasn’t reciprocated by the audience.

It quickly became clear that Lostboycrow was not comfortable in an electronic dance context. His voice is soothingly gentle. Its force isn’t derived from amplitude, but from its sharpness, the ability to remain clear at stratospheric pitches. It isn’t amenable to the high tempo, abrasive sounds of electronic dance. His voice was coerced as it tried to keep up with a genre it wasn’t meant for. His lack of comfort with the genre manifested in his interactions with the audience as well. For the first half of the show, Lostboycrow was performing in an enclosed space. He sang over the heads of the audience, rarely directing his gaze towards the crowd. At times it felt like he may have forgotten the crowd was even there. There’s something bizarre about a concert that fails to break the fourth wall. It’s also strange to see an artist so surprised by his own success. Despite some of the awkward moments, the audience always reconfirmed their commitment with ecstatic applause at the conclusion of songs. Instead of utilizing this as a confirmation of his appeal, Lostboycrow would retort with shy “thank you”’s, interrupting the flow of the concert and surprising even himself with his own positive reception.

Towards the middle of the show Lostboycrow metamorphosed. He began to disregard the superfluous sound that imbued the beginning of the performance and opted for a more minimalist set. When he got behind the synth, he finally began to look comfortable. The way he interacted with the audience changed entirely. The fourth wall was torn down, and for the first time everyone was occupying the same space. Lostboycrow found a rhythm and rode the momentum for a stretch of the conert. During this portion of the concert he combined his expert vocal control with his delicate tone to display a take on dream pop that felt entirely original. It culminated in his performance of “All My Lives At Once.” The song built with Lostboy’s use of miasma to create a feeling of concessionary optimism. By the time he reached the hook, his voice was so thin that it floated above the audience, slowly enshrouding each individual. At this point his voice began to instill a stupor, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the real world and the world he vocally constructed. The song began to sound finished and suddenly there was silence. Lostboycrow crouched to the ground. One, two seconds passed. Suddenly, in synchrony with the disco ball and spotlights, he burst upwards and belted “Loooove, L-uh-uh-oooove L-uh-ooove.” Time in the venue started to move slowly. Everyone appeared frozen in place as his voice slowly diffused through the space, interacting with every audience member in a personal manner. Re-experiencing this singular moment would be reason enough to attend another Lostboycrow concert.

Although this concert was an enjoyable experience, it had too many conflicting elements to make it feel like a unified whole. All too often it felt like the responsibility of the audience to take control of the concert and will it in a satisfactory direction. Despite these drawbacks, several moments in the concert were stellar, making up for his slow start. When Lostboycrow became comfortable, his soul and voice hypnotized the audience. If he can scrap his vision of electronic dance and forge a path into a softer, dream pop arena, his artistry will become more valuable and his concerts will become increasingly complete.