Show Review and Photos: Holly Humberstone @ Showbox

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Holly Humberstone @ Showbox – 6/24/2026
Review by Louise Geri, Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Downtown Seattle was already unusually crowded for a Wednesday as people anticipated the World Cup. But in a sea of sports fans, a group stuck out: young adults, primarily women and gay male couples, waiting to enter Holly Humberstone’s Seattle stop at the Showbox on the Cruel World Tour.

Humberstone debuted during quarantine and released the successful EPs Falling Asleep At The Wheel (2020) and The Walls Are Way Too Thin (2021). Her audience expanded when she joined Olivia Rodrigo on tour in 2022. I found her right as the tour began, not long before the release of her debut album Paint My Bedroom Black (2023). I was entranced by the electricity of her voice and the sharpness of her words. This April, she released the Cruel World album and has since embarked on a headlining tour of North America.

The venue was almost full at 8 pm when opener Leyla Ebrahimi took the stage. She wore jeans and a T-shirt with the neck cut out.  This opening slot followed her debut EP Planet You Forgot Me. Ebrahimi’s eyes were wide with joy as she greeted the audience. She growled to synth production and engaged with her electric guitarist, producer Shane Pielocik. I wondered how rock production might suit her powerful voice. Ebrahimi wished the crowd a happy pride month, introducing songs about sapphic relationships “I’m Sorry Maria” and “I Know You’re the Moon”. A photographer onstage filmed the crowd dancing before pivoting so Ebrahimi could stare and point into the barrel. She exited her set with a hip bump with Pielocik and a photo with the crowd.

Interestingly, as Humberstone took the stage at 9 pm, the usual concert venue scent, faint of weed and beer, was replaced by the distinct smell of a Brandy Melville store. Wearing a dress that screamed Free People meets Reformation, Humberstone was dainty and powerful. Her band members had diverse style: her female drummer wearing a summer going-out-fit, her male electric guitarist a skirt, and her keyboardist/bassist a flat cap. It made for a great “come as you are” sentiment.

Humberstone’s eyes were so sincere as she sang that it was almost sultry, and therefore completely on brand to the “Cruel World” album. The album is seductive at times, but also very raw and wise. Beginning with songs from the recent release, she opened with “Make It All Better”, cupping the microphone with her hands. Fans screamed the “To Love Somebody” lyrics, “It always works, it always does!” She interacted with the audience, making eye contact with a man flitting his fingers to a riff in the chorus of “Cruel World”. She held her hands back flirtatiously as the lights turned a predictable purple for “Blue Dream” and ended the song with the first of many hand hearts.

The 2022 hit “The Walls Are Way Too Thin”, squeezed between Cruel World tracks, prompted many cameras. Between older throwbacks including her debut single “Deep End”, she reminisced on how far she’s come, “The novelty will never wear off”.

The run of “Beauty Pageant”, “White Noise”, “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” and “Red Chevy” was the highlight of the setlist. As Humberstone sang the first song, a ballad about being a young people-pleasing woman onstage, the whole crowd was screaming the words. Interestingly, I most clearly heard men singing. “White Noise”, the ultimate crying-in-the-club banger, gained a new life in my head. She held the mic out to the crowd on “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”. During “Red Chevy”, everyone screamed, “Kiss me like you f***ing mean it”. She simmered down with “Drunk Dialing” and “Dive” before the encore.

Upon returning to the stage, she and her electric guitarist, nestled together, played the acoustic ballad “Lucy”. Humberstone described the song, dedicated to her little sister, as one of her favorites on her latest album.

The finale was “Scarlett”. Humberstone played an electric guitar colored accordingly. I hurt myself screaming, “I cried all the summer away, oh, you left me waiting on a heartbreak”. Humberstone and her electric guitarist took different sides of the stage to display their prowess to the enchanted crowd. As Humberstone exited the stage, she held up a hand heart, handed a guitar pick to a fan, and took a gift.

I left the show on the verge of happy tears as the crowd began the slow organized trudge out of the venue. My ears ringing, throat burning, eyes wide, and nose filled with the scent of sweat and Brandy Melville, I yelled to my friend, “That was life-changing!”

Buy tickets to Holly Humberstone’s remaining shows on the Cruel World Tour here.

Holly Humberstone – Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Leyla Ebrahimi – Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Song Review: “Weight On Me” by Debbie

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“Weight On Me” by Debbie
Song Review by Louise Geri

“Weight On Me” cover art

Rising British R&B singer Debbie released a new single, “Weight On Me” on June 12th, following a new record deal with Warner Records, a Brit Award nomination, and an opening slot with Sienna Spiro.

The song first debuted on A COLORS SHOW, a platform where artists perform songs in a minimalistic setting with a monochromatic color background that directs listeners attention to the artist’s raw talent. The production, by Luis Navidad, is relaxed. It’s reduced to only piano, light percussion, featuring drums played by Femi Koleoso of the Ezra Collective, and vocal stacks. Debbie’s singing does all the work that heavy production might do for other artists. Her vocals are cutting, and you can hear her British accent peeking through.

The lyrics, also simple, convey the trials and tribulations of attempting to let go of someone. Most relatable, “I’m going through the motions of holding and letting you go, it’s a weight on me.” Debbie replays memories and paints a gutting picture in the second verse with, “Pain through the window, watching you leave” and “They say time is a healer/It’s not healing me now, with my head to the ground.”

“Weight On Me” is an impressive lead-up to Debbie’s upcoming album she’s currently recording with Warner Records. Listen to “Weight On Me” on all streaming platforms now.

Debbie – photo by Shenell Kennedy

Photos: Lizzie Weber @ Triple Door

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Lizzie Weber @ Triple Door – 6/19/2026
Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Singer-songwriter Lizzie Weber opened for Ásgeir at a sold-out show at the Triple Door.  The former Seattle-based artist was back in town during a stop on her The Tiny Incision Tour.  Playing both piano and guitar, Weber was accompanied by violin and viola as she performed numerous songs from her recently released album, Wraiths in the Wake.

Lizzie Weber – Photos by Kirk Stauffer

The Lemon Twigs and Mod Lang at the Neptune Theatre

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The Lemon Twigs and Mod Lang hosted a power pop lover’s dream bill at Seattle’s Neptune Theatre last week. Both bands satisfied and impressed, delivering a perfect sunny spring day soundtrack to a delighted and enthusiastic audience.

The Lemon Twig’s (brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, bass & keyboard player Danny Ayala, and drummer Reza Matin) youthful appearance belies their 10+ years and 7 studio albums worth of experience. The D’Addario’s handle the lion’s share of the instruments on their recorded work but they add the very capable Ayala and Matin to round out the band for live appearances. It’s nigh on impossible for a lover of pop music to avoid playing a round or two of ‘Spot the Influence’ while listening to the Twigs. Their lush, crystal-clear sibling harmony vocals and shimmery guitars invite comparisons to the Beach Boys, Beatles, the Zombies, the Hollies, the Byrds, and other bands and artists of that ilk and era. One listens a bit further and you begin to hear Todd Rundgren, the Move, Simon & Garfunkel, Phil Specter’s Wall of Sound productions, as well as second generation power pop stalwarts such as XTC, Squeeze, the LA’s, a bit of the early Smiths, REM, and other bands associated with the heyday of indie rock. I encourage the listener to take it one step further and you will begin to hear the Lemon Twigs establishing and owning their own unique identity. It’s likely that their music will always conjure visions of the Beatles and Beach Boys but the D’Addario’s have such complete mastery of the form combined with exuberance and flair that their art and craft becomes their own identifiable, stand-alone form and musical vocabulary. Pop music has long built upon that which came before, from the Rolling Stones assimilating and reinterpreting Chuck Berry and Jimmy Reed, to punk rock building on the foundations of garage rock, the Stooges, and the MC5, and now bands such as the Lemon Twigs and Mod Lang expressing their love and admiration for the Big Stars, the Brian Wilsons, and the Monkees of the world.

The Lemon Twigs dove into their 22 song set in winning fashion with ‘My Golden Years’, from their 2024 release ‘A Dream is All We Know’. The tune is a perfect primer for anyone seeking to create an ingredient list for a successful Lemon Twigs tune: chiming, Byrds-esque guitars, tuneful sibling harmonies not unlike what one might find on the Beach Boy’s ‘Pet Sounds’ album, and spot-on, catchy as hell power pop songs. The brothers D’Addario have amassed a formidable catalog of picture-perfect pop gems over their career and it was a delight to hear the songs packed into one well-paced and satisfying set. As mentioned previously, the Twigs aren’t shy about wearing their influences on their collective sleeve but their zeal and obvious joy in performing combined with their uncanny aptitude for showcasing said influences raise their art well beyond that of talented mimics. I don’t think I was alone in my appraisal as the audience was full of happy pop fans singing along while grinning from ear to ear. I’m not sure I’ve seen a show this year that was stronger in the ‘good vibes department’.

The Lemon Twigs were more than capably supported by Detroit’s ‘Mod Lang’. The talented quartet may not be quite as far down the road as the evening’s headliners but they’re more than headed in the right direction and their catchy brand of Big Star influenced pop rock was met with approval from the multigenerational audience (it’s worth noting that the band took their name from a Big Star tune). I would be surprised to not hear more from this tight and fun young band in the future. They’re absolutely worth a listen at this point in their development and they have all the hallmarks of a combo that could get even better with a little seasoning.

Show Review and Photos: Em Beihold @ Neumos

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Em Beihold @ Neumos – 6/10/2026
Review by Louise Geri, Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Em Beihold, a pop singer who has built an image surrounding mental health since her 2022 hit “Numb Little Bug”, headlined Neumos for her Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter Tour on Wednesday. Decked out in flower crowns and dresses, fans filled the venue with positive energy. Neumos was the most packed I’ve ever seen.

Janani K. Jha, Beihold’s self-proclaimed biggest fan, was the opener. She took the stage smiling alongside her electric guitarist. The two had an incredible onstage dynamic. She told the stories of her songs, including topics of religion, betrayal, and a “situationship” with a guy from Seattle. One song, “Echo”, was co-written with Beihold and discussed cultural appropriation. Jha told a heartfelt story about the origins of the Greek goddess Echo as it related to the topic. Jha performed both acoustic and with full production. At the end of her set, her guitarist filmed a video of the crowd, telling everyone to go “as crazy as possible”.

When Em Beihold took the stage, her demeanor was comical as she smiled while playing keyboard singing the sad lyrics of “Scared of the Dark”. She had a similar tone to that of jazz-pop singer Laufey. At the end of the bridge, she made a grand first impression on the audience, ordering everyone to scream before launching into the final chorus.

As her set progressed through “Brutus”, the crowd could take note of a band member who would rotate, throughout the show, between violin and acoustic and electric guitar. Adding the orchestral instrument live instead of keeping it in a backing track brought the songs to life in a way that’s not often heard in smaller venues.

Beihold flitted around in a corset tank top with bows on the straps and a black-and-white polka dotted skirt. She teased the audience while introducing “Shiny Little Things”, first pretending she was about to sing the hit “Numb Little Bug”. She shifted into a minor key with “Van Gogh”. Then, she launched into “Medicine” by pulling out a pill bottle onstage. She crouched to the crowd’s level, having fans sing lines. As I filmed the song, I got so distracted by her contagious energy that when I remembered I was filming and looked back at my phone, the stage wasn’t even in the frame.

The crowd energy relaxed for “Exorcism”. The song ended in Beihold screaming and lowering herself to the stage floor. After the song, she told the dads of the crowd to “smile a little more”. Ironically, there was a substantial number of happy looking fathers in attendance compared to the average female-fronted concert I attend. She then warned the crowd that “something that happens toward the end of the tour is I get the coughs… my band plays emergency bluegrass [when that happens.]”

The audience was alive during “Unicorn” as rainbow lights shone. Beihold put her hands in her hair during corresponding lines and danced exuberantly. She informed the crowd afterward that “Unicorn” is tiring for her to sing; hence it makes her hungry. This was a perfect segue into “Soup!” She preluded “God”, from her 2022 record Egg in the Backseat, asking if any members of the crowd had been led on. She seemed disappointed that more people hadn’t been. Nonetheless, everyone screamed along to the song.

Beihold gave the crowd the chance to assert their opinions, asking if they’d rather hear “Groundhog Day” or “City of Angels”. The latter won by a landslide, with deafening cheers. She laughed, “Every crowd picks ‘City of Angels’.” Despite the positive energy of choosing between songs, the performance, during which Beihold sat at the keyboard, was the most low-energy part of the show.

Ironically to Beihold’s prior statement, dads in the back of the venue turned on their phone flashlights and swayed as Beihold sang her popular duet remix of Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You”. A loving voice memo played at the start of the following song, the more synth heavy “Won’t Let Go”. Lights over the stage turned a cheerful yellow for “Lottery”.

Disappointed in her lack of coughing fits that night, Beihold prompted her band to play “emergency bluegrass” anyway. The crowd clapped to the beat as the fiddler owned the stage. Interestingly, despite drums not being a prominent instrument in bluegrass, the drummer played.

Beihold shouted out “all the hot goblins” as she launched into the likewise titled “Hot Goblin”. She used a goblin stuffie from a fan as a prop. Before the final chorus, she jokingly asked the crowd, “Do you guys think I should sing half a key up?” before doing just that.

She returned to the stage for the encore to play “Numb Little Bug”. If the crowd was alive earlier in the show, they gave “alive” a new meaning now. Beihold held up a hand heart and fans reciprocated before she left the stage. 

The Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter Tour is near its end, coming to a close at the esteemed Troubadour venue in LA on Monday.

Em Beihold – Photos by Kirk Stauffer

Janani K. Jha – Photos by Kirk Stauffer