Lizzy McAlpine @ Riviera Theater
Live coverage photo by Caroline Zeeman!
On Friday, April 21st, Lizzy McAlpine visited the Rivera Theatre for the Chicago stop on her The End of the Movie Tour. Lizzy last performed on the Riviera stage as an opener for indie musician, Dodie in early 2022.
“Last January, I opened… on this stage,” McAlpine stated in between songs. “And now I’m playing it myself, which is really crazy so thank you”. Since then, her following has grown exponentially, with eighteen million monthly listeners on Spotify and an almost sold-out headlining tour.
After making my way through an ocean of teenage girls and their boyfriends, I found my seat hidden in the middle of the most crowded balcony I have ever seen at the Riviera. Even though I arrived alone, the girl next to me and I became rather close, bonding over our admiration for Lizzy. “I am sorry in advance… I may sob uncontrollably during some of it. Or all of it,” the girl beside me whispered.
“Me too,” I affirmed her. As one of the eighteen million listeners mentioned before, this was a show I had been looking forward to for months. It seemed as though the entire theater felt the same. The strength and dedication of her fan base were on display for Lizzy’s entire set. Not only did the audience scream every lyric to hits like Ceilings and her opening song, Ego thing -- but their voices accompanied Lizzy throughout the show as if they were a choir.
Even if you had no idea who McAlpine was, her grounding and inviting presence was one you could feel from across the venue. Set up like a home studio, the stage sported a rug, a comfy couch, several lamps, a clothing rack, and her piano. Dressed in a white t-shirt, baggy jeans, and clean, white sneakers, Lizzy clutched a sticker-covered water bottle when introducing her band. The way her production was designed, it never felt like a performance. The show felt as if we were friends, sitting next to each other in her basement while she sang.
However, there was nothing underwhelming about her performance. Her voice projected effortlessly, not to discount its power and intensity. Before performing two unreleased songs from a new record, Lizzy announced that it was “some of [her] favorite music ever written”. With hot cheeks and watery eyes, I tried my best not to cry to a song I hadn't even related to yet, proving her voice alone was enough to bring anyone to tears.
“I guess it’s all about trying to love someone you’ve never met,” Lizzy sang as the girl from before and I made eye contact through equally drenched eyelashes. It was comforting to know I wasn’t the only one who balled to McAlpine in the shower… on the train… or anywhere I desired to feel the depths of the loss, grief, and gratitude Lizzy illustrates through her music.
Once I finally recovered from a hurricane of emotions, Lizzy heads to the piano, flicks on a vintage lamp, and reminds us of the exponential growth she has made. She starts to tickle the keyboard before coming to an abrupt stop. “Hold on,” she says as she laughs. This show just happened to fall on the second birthday of the release of her live album, When the World Stopped Moving. As she continued to play the introduction to Angelina, the crowd celebrated with her by lighting the Riviera with their phone flashlights.
“Here’s the part where I leave, then have three more songs… But you know I’m coming back so I am just going to stay here,” she announced after concluding her set with Erase Me. A Pancakes for Dinner and Orange Show Speedway later, the house lights flicker, kindly telling a now emotionally exhausted audience that our time with Lizzy had ended.
Lizzy’s performance was the first concert I attended on my own where I stayed until the very last second– hoping the obviously stated encore wasn’t actually the end. Yet, I truly wasn't alone, and comfortably sharing this experience with strangers made her presence in my life even more precious. Lizzy McAlpine is one of the few performers that I didn’t think I could love any more than I already did. Not only do I recommend the entirety of her discography, but if you can manage to find a ticket I highly recommend that you see her live, too.