Tag: terminal west
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Concert Diaries: Em Beihold Shines on Stage
Em Beihold’s rising star took her by surprise and later tonight, she’ll tell us the story. Despite her shock, she has gone on to tour with an impressive array of artists like Lewis Capaldi, King Princess, and the Jonas Brothers. A lifelong musician, Beihold didn’t believe she could make a career out of music, but now, almost through with her first headlining tour, Beihold is steadily building up her budding fandom. In Atlanta, on a chilly Monday Night, she visits Terminal West, a humble venue with a capacity of 625.
The night’s opener, Will Linley, a boyish pop artist hailing from Cape Town, South Africa is a natural charmer and a flirt with the romantic and sensitive songs to back it up. Before “Gracie”, a song in which he ruminates over the identity of his future wife, Linley called out a fan in the front row—”the girl in the green shirt”—and asked for her name, Mary. Then, he slipped her name in towards the end of the song, singing “Mary / I know that you’d be the one to save me”.
For someone on his first-ever U.S. tour, he showed off a surprisingly convincing southern accent. Before heading off the stage, he plugged his upcoming single “Blame” with a live debut before it officially releases on April 5th. Then he headed off, leaving us waiting for the main act.
As the lights lowered, an extended introduction to “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad” played over the speakers. Beihold’s guitarist and drummer took their places and then, Beihold pranced in, heading straight into the first verse with an infectious energy.
Bantering back and forth with the audience, she joked that the next song, “12345”, was for the “anxiety girlies.” Mental health is a common theme in the 24-year-old’s music. She openly shares her struggles surrounding it through her songs, which her listeners tend to connect most immediately to. As a part of her advocacy efforts, she noted that each ticket sale from the tour contributes $1 to Active Minds, a non-profit leading efforts to take mental health seriously, especially for students.
Beihold’s relatability stems from her earnestness. In each song, she offers a fresh perspective on the realistic struggles of being a young adult in the modern age. She builds on this with each track on the setlist. In “Too Precious” she embraces her introverted tendencies, poking fun at the expectation of what it means to be “cool” at her age.
Before playing “Groundhog Day”, an undeniably relatable track, she tells the audience that this is the track that launched her career. She says she’d resigned herself to working as a production assistant for the Voice—”that’s like music-adjacent right?”—after being rejected by reality TV talent shows and her college’s a cappella group. And when “Groundhog Day” was embraced by audiences, it landed her a record deal from Republic Records. On the stage, she opted to play her keyboard as she sang it.
Then, she graced audiences with a live performance of an unreleased track, “Extraordinary”. Driving home her relatable persona, the song explores the constant pressure to be and do great things in your life, the thoughts that lead to those late nights when you realize you’ll never be the president or that 12-year-old competing in the Olympics. She contemplated with the audience “I don’t know why I’m so consumed by how history sees me.” She muses in the chorus “Optimism / tricked me / and it made me believe / that the only way to be / is extraordinary”.
After the Los Angeles native sang “City of Angels” about all the fakers in L.A., she invited her friend/merch coordinator, Leah, to the stage to back her up as she sang “Until I Found You”, a nostalgic song in which she joined crooner Stephen Sanchez, launching the song into the viral stratosphere, gaining 1 billion streams on TikTok and just short a billion on Spotify.
She played yet another unreleased track, “Shiny New Things”, focusing on the rush to embrace new trends as quickly as possible in the current digital landscape. The next three songs—”Goo”, “Pedestal”, and “Spiderman”—all focused on romantic escapades gone wrong, with the middle one being the mandatory ukulele moment.
“Lottery”, which Beihold named as her favorite, was a highlight of the show, exemplary of her down-to-earth nature, and the third unreleased track of the night. In “Lottery” she is grateful that she hasn’t been endowed with egregious amounts of money and the ails that accompany it.
As we headed to the end of the set, Beihold embraced the most energetic songs of her discography. Yet, the subject matter isn’t necessarily happy. “Egg in the Backseat” stemming from a childhood nickname, is a bouncy, upbeat track that gets the crowd jumping as she says of her crush, “I think you’re a bad Idea / you’re a bad idea”.
Second to last she plays “Maybe Life is Good”. Of the song, she noted: it was written at a time in which everything was bleak and miserable and she used this song as a tool to get better. She says “I named the tour after this song because I wanted this to be a safe space.”
Then finally, the night wrapped up with “Numb Little Bug”, one of her best-known tracks, which takes a humorous yet candid take on anhedonic depression and taking medications to get better. It’s another early single that gained her the following she has. The top comment on its music video reads “It’s fascinating how one song can really make you say ‘thank God it’s not only me.’”
Her malleability as an artist is evident. As the audience files out, I noted many parents here with younger daughters in tow, wearing pink tour merch. Even still, there is no shortage of teens and younger adults in the mix. Empathetic as she is talented, Beihold was a vibrant artist on the stage.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. at Terminal West on November 11
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Approaching the box office at Terminal West on Tuesday night, I could hear what sounded like an acoustic version of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.‘s “Beautiful Dream” and I had to check my watch. Doors at 8pm. Music at 9pm. And there’s an opener, right? It’s not even 9:30. How can this be? Am I really missing the show? And one of my favorite songs at that? Sh*t.
I walk inside and indeed, it is true. Detroit boys Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein are on stage, instruments in hand, singing away. It was only after the next song (which they explained was written for the first album but didn’t make the cut) that I learned what was happening here. The opening act didn’t show. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. was opening for themselves. Sort of awkward. Sort of awesome. They continued with a couple covers, admitting they were killing time, ended with The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” and let the crowd know they’d be back out in a bit.
Returning to the stage after the typical 20ish minute break, the duo are now joined by a live drummer and multi-instrumentalist in the backstage to fill out that bigger sound we were missing in their stripped-down opening set and clad in different outfits (Daniel even dropped the blanket he had wrapped himself in and wrestled his guitar strap over). Like a whole new band, right?
Beginning the “real” set with “Morning Thought,” the first song off their 2011 album It’s a Corporate World, they cruised through a handful of familiar favorites employing the energy and explosiveness we’ve come to love from these guys, with Joshua wasting no time hopping off stage and getting down into the crowd only three songs into the set.
Their newest single, “James Dean” was prefaced with an anecdote explaining that they released the track without the knowledge or consent of their record label, and albeit lacking label support, it’s gone on to be the most successful song they’ve ever put out. Personally, it’s not a favorite. But the crowd most certainly had a more palpable reaction than to any other song so far in the evening, which included some great ones… (“Don’t Tell Me”, “Simple Girl”, “Vocal Chords”…)
Following the new with the old, next up was “When I Open My Eyes” trailed by one of my favorite songs of the evening “Run” off their 2013 release The Speed of Things. This one was a close second to the super-melodic “War Zone” which came up after they played another new one, titled “In the Middle.” This new song was much more promising than “James Dean”… I kept thinking of “Burning Down the House” every time they went into the chorus. Not a bad thing at all.
The telephone mic Josh had been using on and off throughout the show gets called into action to mic his sax for “War Zone,” and they closed the main set out with the anthemic “Almost Lost Detroit” before returning with “A Haunting” to open up the encore. Complete with bubbles galore and the most wild light show we had seen thus far in the evening, they continued with arguably their biggest hit and certainly most dance-inducing song “If You Didn’t See Me [Then You Weren’t On The Dancefloor]”.
The evening closed on a make-you-want-to-hold-hands-with-the-person-next-to-you note with “Nothing But Our Love” and both Joshua and Daniel immediately bolted from the stage to the merch booth, embracing clamoring fans and happily signing countless autographs.
If opening for themselves wasn’t already a fairly big hint, this was a true sign that this couple of Detroit boys, despite their success, haven’t lost their humility and gratitude for their supporters. A good reason to keep on loving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and coming out to enjoy their rowdy and shamelessly enjoyable live shows.
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RAW Natural Born Artist: PIXELS at Terminal West: Music
I’m not sure if everyone at Terminal West Wednesday night was prepared for the amalgamation of creativity that was to take place inside the brick walls of the former steel foundry, but I know I certainly wasn’t. Courtesy of RAW Natural Born Artists, an international organization that connects artists of all kinds, the Pixels showcase featured three talented, up and coming musical acts as well as fashion, art, photography, and performance art from the Atlanta area.
Four Flats, a trio comprised of David Blackmon and Brad Garner on guitar and Courtney Rogers on lead vocals was first to take the stage. Their set consisted mostly of covers with a southern influence such as Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of a Bay, Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers, a band in which Rogers said has had a huge influence on their direction as a band. Despite the fact that Four Flats has no original compositions yet, they show real promise as a band.
The second act of the night, and undoubtedly the crowd favorite, was Bonnie Bordeaux. Bordeaux and her powerhouse of a band, who have only been collaborating for a few months, used their contagious stage presence to transport the audience to the 1940’s. They performed mostly original songs, which were innovative and unique. Never a boring moment, the set combined Pop, Jazz, and R&B. Bordeaux also performed an ambitious cover of Settle Down by Kimbra, which she pulled off stunningly. Between Bordeaux’s musical range and ability to put on a great show, this group has grand potential to be the next big thing to come out of Atlanta. Bonnie Bordeaux will also appear at SCAD Atlanta on February 28th.
The last musical act of the night was Athens-based rock band American Mannequins, who have become a steady presence in the greater Atlanta music scene this past year. Lead vocalist Curtis Vorda, effortlessly hit high notes belting out melodies that ranged from uplifting to haunting. Although their involved prog-rock arrangements and somewhat awkward stage presence didn’t strike a chord with all audience members, their solid musicianship was more than redeeming.
The Pixels showcase put on by RAW Natural Born Artists featured musicians with raw natural born talent and an eclectic variety of music that the audience appreciated. Check out these great new artists and upcoming RAW events here.
RAW Natural Born Artists: PIXELS at Terminal West: Art
Where can you find feminist, hiphop performance art, utensil jewelry, and photos of naked women standing near Atlanta landmarks? You’re best bet is a Raw Natural Born Artist showcase like the one held last Wednesday at Terminal West. Pixels featured music, art, photography, fashion, performance and make-up artists.
The visual pieces were hung on display on chain-linked fences that surrounded the main stage where three talented music acts would perform. Jewelry booths were set up in the adjoining room while performance art and a fashion show completed the evening.
Photographer Q. Oliver’s portion of fence was swarming with interested people all night. His stunning black and white photographs featured women of all shapes and ethnicities standing completely or partially nude in the middle of some of Atlanta’s busiest streets. I was told he captures the photos in the early morning hours to avoid too much attention from passer-byes and law enforcement. Check out Q.Oliver’s photos here.
Jewelry designer Mallory Wingo of WingostarrJewelery incorporates natural gemstones with everyday items like forks and spoons to create some very unique pieces. She strives to make customized pieces with the time consuming process of hammering letter stamps into the metal of her designs. Shop WingostarrJewelery here.
Danielle Deadwyler a.k.a Didi Xio’s performance art incorporated hiphop beats and social commentary on gender and race stereotypes. She first engaged the audience by having a man hold one end of a noose, wrapping herself up in the other end and pulling on it violently while she recited poetic verses. She then took the stage in a fierce mental rap while including the audience in a game of dice. Deadwyler’s performance was powerful and hard-hitting. Preview Didi Xio’s musical storytelling here.
These are just three of the many incredible artists on display at the Pixels showcase. Raw Natural Born Artists is an international organization connecting local artists to their community while providing them the creative freedom to perfect their craft. You can learn more about this organization and support local artists here.
Roky Erickson with Black Angels at Terminal West
My two roommates and I went to see Roky Erickson. We were anxious to see what kind of people would be at a show featuring Roky Erickson (obviously The Black Angels headlined). We walked in behind a middle-aged double date. One of the women was wearing gold metallic go-go boots. Of course, The Black Angels are a psychedelic-rock band, so I was expecting oddities like this one. It was a sold out show.
We walked in in the middle of Roky Erickson’s performance, and I cried a little on the inside. I wanted to see him walk on, but I can imagine it: probably simply and without acknowledging there was a crowd of Black Angel fans before him. Roky Erickson got his start in 1966 after co-founding The 13th Floor Elevators. Later in 1974, “Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer)” debuted a more rock and roll side of Roky, as compared to his original psychedelic style. “Two Headed Dog” became a single, which he of course, featured at the show. I assumed he was the reason most of the older folks showed up. He wasn’t alone on stage, though. He was accompanied by three guitarists, a beautiful keyboardist and a drummer, all of which were young and healthy. Roky seemed out of place. He still has long hair, although more gray and he seemed to be looking at the guitarists at either side of him, looking for a nod of approval I was looking forward to seeing him by himself. I wanted to see him on a stool with a guitar singing, “I Love the Living You”. Roky is the epitome of raw, so much so that his acoustic songs become revelatory. He is the only artist that can bring tears to my eyes and yet sing so simply. Nonetheless, he was there, in the flesh, a legend. I was glad to know Roky existed outside of my head. He left as simply as I assume he came out.
Enough of my swooning over Roky Erickson. The crowd multiplied, along with random puffs of smoke overhead (“eh-hem”). There was still a varied age group. To be honest, I had never listened to Black Angels prior to this night. The stage was set with four stand-alone canvases and one large canvas backdrop. Projections splattered the stage with trippy colors and star images. The music played but no Black Angels. I could feel the excitement gathering, and the crowd grew louder, but still, no Black Angels. After two or three minutes of this titillation, they walked on. I was expecting a grand entrance, but I guess you don’t need that when you’re the Black Angels. The crowd went wild, as the cliché goes, and they began. The drummer, a shaggy haired girl that looked like she could stare anyone to death, played a heavy, slow beat. Then the vocalist broke in. This was literally a psychedelic experience – not just The Black Angels but the event as a whole. To my right was a young, sweet couple and to my left a guy that looked like Mick Jagger’s clone. I was still having post-Roky effects, and it was all too much. I wouldn’t have missed this show for the world. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I shared it with two great people, and that is what makes a concert review-worthy.