Alex G is the single most outstanding musician out there. I’ve never seen anyone be capable of what he does. His use of unique sounds mixed with his painfully close-to-home lyrics sets him apart from any other musician.
Born in Havertown, PA, he rose to fame through self-releasing his music. His album Trick (2012), which has his three most popular songs (Sarah, Mary, and 16 Mirrors), secured his spot in the indie music scene. He's gone on to accomplish great things, like doing the entirety of the soundtrack for We're All Going to the World's Fair, releasing nine albums (on Spotify), and doing some of the guitar arrangements on Frank Ocean's album Blonde.
Alex’s original stage name, (Sandy) Alex G, sprouted from his desire to write fiction from the perspective of his character. The only song that was a narrative-based piece was Sandy which tells the story of a young boy struggling to understand his position in society, his self-worth, and growing up. After Sandy, he went on to never write anything like it again.
His genres include indie rock, indie folk, slacker rock, lo-fi, folktronica, and alternative. Most of his songs are related to growing up, relationships, and drugs.
I had the absolute joy of being able to see him live at Philadelphia's Dell Music Center. Going into it, I had no idea what he was going to primarily play. I assumed the majority would be his latest album, God Save the Animals. I hated God Save the Animals for about a year. I tried giving it a couple of chances, but it reminded me too much of 100 gecs. I couldn’t stand it. On the drive to the concert, I listened to it on loop. I ended up falling in love with it.
My best buddy Eli and I arrived. The venue was insanely spacious and didn't seem to be at full capacity. We had seats near the back, but the view was great nonetheless. I love Alex G so much that I was feeling nauseous solely because I was so excited/nervous to see him. I was extremely worked up. Regardless, I really enjoyed the opening band, Alvvays.
Alex casually walked out and got right into it. His stage presence was very comfortable. He said thank you pretty frequently and switched positions constantly. It makes sense considering that he not only sings but he can also play guitar, drums, keyboard, and bass.
He ended up playing (not in order):
S.D.O.S.
Miracles
Mission
Forgive
Ain't it Easy
Blessing
Early Morning Waiting
Southern Sky
Mary
Sarah
Bug
After ur Gone
Bobby
Message
I had a lot of thoughts about the performance. I’ll be honest, I was slightly bummed he only did one song off of Beach Music, my favorite album. Hearing God Save the Animals performed live made me love it even more. It’s become my fourth favorite album. I also deeply appreciated him ending the night on Message. I don't see the song nearly getting the amount of recognition it deserves. The song's tone is very sentimental and what I would call careful; it's a great representation of his talent.
“Every year, I'm getting older
But every day, I feel the same
And when I feel like I got no one
At least I can hear the rain”
It was the perfect note to end the night. I asked Eli what he thought about the performance. He said, “Alex G was great. It made me speculate if he was homosexual. It was that good. Remember the iconic bird tapestry? Peace out.”
In conclusion, I love Alex G.
