Shallow Alcove’s Long-Awaited Return to Los Angeles Lands at The Roxy
Los Angeles, California - February 20, 2026
NYC-based indie-folk band Shallow Alcove said it best themselves — they specialize in “nostalgia folk to kiss ur forehead but kick ur butt.”
Comprised of members Grace Krichbaum, Dan Harris, Peter Groppe, Jack Harrington, and joined by drummer Giulianna Iapalucci for the road, the group took to The Roxy stage in Los Angeles last Friday night, scoring an opening slot alongside Beeson for Matt Kerekes’ 10 YEARS OF LUNA AND THE WILD BLUE EVERYTHING Tour. “The last time we were here in some form was, I think, the Fourth of July weekend of 2023. It took us long enough to get back, god damnit. But we’re happy to be here,” Harris gushed to the audience.
Fueled by a musical chemistry rooted in their longstanding friendship and early memories of writing songs together in their bedrooms, the band’s discography swirls with lived-in lyricism that only knows how to be vulnerable. Whether it's dealing with a friendship breakup or grappling with existential crises, Shallow Alcove blankets the highs and lows of life’s ever-changing seasons with velvety strings and blissful melodies, emulating the feeling of sun-soaked road trips and fireside acoustic sessions with your best friends. Their live set reflected exactly this — 30 minutes dedicated to confiding in the crowd about the thoughts that run rampant in their minds, yet somehow leaving everyone feeling like life will still be okay.
A bouquet of six strings, bass riffs, and snappy drum kicks introduced their opening number, “Aim to Please,” a feel-good tune with an upbeat melody and crunchy, live guitars that can’t help but prompt a few head nods and hip sways — until you listen to what she’s singing about. Krichbaum succumbs to the deadly wildfire of her people-pleasing tendencies by delivering the most gut-punching lyric with buttery vocals: “I’m for hire / I’ll become all that you desire.” “We’re All Doomed” off their 2023 album, Keepsakes, followed the same vein, filling the room with bright instrumentals that disguised cutting lyricism: “The stars and moon don’t make a difference to you / 'Cause we’re all doomed.
Photo via Shallow Alcove.
In “Heart Shaped Locket,” she takes the audience on a stroll through a city marked by vacant houses and invisible footprints left by old friends who haunt the narrative. “This is a song about trying to stomach the passage of time and ditching friends when they’re not good to you, which is a really hard thing to do. But you gotta do it,” Krichbaum warmly advised. Harris’ acoustic guitar took center stage for softer tracks like this, his jangly chords igniting a sense of reprieve from reality.
Letting your guard down is just as brave as singing about the moments you’ve opened up to someone, let alone the wrong someone. “This next one is a song about getting drunk at a party and meeting a girl in the bathroom. And you’re both hammered and [are] like, ‘Jennifer, nobody’s ever understood me like you.’ You tell her all of your secrets instead of getting closure by talking to the people you actually should talk to,” Krichbaum shared before transitioning into a tender rendition of “Girls at Parties.
The band made sure to shower the crew with gratitude for welcoming them onto the tour, even joking that the bond they’ve created with Matt Kerekes and his band earned them a couple of bodyguards for life. East Coast love was also heavily felt through older songs like “Your Star,” which was written in a house in upstate New York. A cheer for Syracuse from someone in the middle of the room made sure to return the camaraderie, bringing a slice of home to the group: “Let’s fucking go! Let’s hear it for Syracuse!” Krichbaum beamed with pride. “Cicero Mills” closed out their set on a very Shallow Alcove note— a woodsy, acoustic lullaby fueled by a tattoo kiss from someone who haunts her “what ifs.”
In a room full of fans that were gearing up to rock out to Kereke’s set, they offered kind ears and hospitality to Shallow Alcove’s folk-forward music, no doubt captivated by the group’s unmistakable charm by the end of the night.
