Towa Bird knocks LA’s socks off with her performance at The Echo
los angeles, california - september 25th, 2024
Photo via Towa Bird
Who could get a crowd together on a Wednesday evening if not the true American hero, Towa Bird? Last week, The Echo in Los Angeles was buzzing with fans waiting for the singer’s silhouette to appear with her signature black electric guitar in hand. After joining Reneé Rapp on her North America and Europe dates, it was time for Bird to take on her own headline tour, and there was a lot of pressure to pull out all of the stops. This didn’t hinder Bird who came prepared with a couple of tricks up her sleeve. After releasing her debut album American Hero, it was time for her to give an audience the full experience of the “Towa Bird complete.”
Just as the first track on the album “Intro” sets the tone for the rest of the record, its atmospheric guitar tones and punchy drum hits led the crowd into Bird’s set. “What’s up Los Angeles, how we doin?” Bird shouted before jetting into “FML,” which sits high on the powerhouse scale. Her romantic fantasies are sleeked in pop-rock perfection, as fans clapped along to the mention of Jennifer’s Body.
Dawning a shirt with “Chaos” written across her chest, her stage presence far exceeded those expectations. For individuals in the audience who were first-time Bird listeners, “Ew” served as the driving heartbeat of the show and showcased the cornerstone of her whole discography. Swelling with pure angst, its cynical lyrics wave aside any signs of love-sickness, which Bird and the audience playfully confessed together: “Trust me I know how I sound / All I think about is you / I want you in my room / You’re so cute I’m gonna puke / Like ew.”
“My name is Towa. Thank you for being here.” Bird spoke into the mic, finally breaking the streak of songs since she hopped on stage. Known for her charming and cheeky banter, she commented on how it was the second show of the American Hero Complex tour, with the previous night being in Santa Ana: “You guys have a lot to top. And I mean that in a punny way too.” However, it wasn’t hard for the crowd to rally, as Bird quickly introduced her new single “Rat Race”. It’s one that proves exactly why Bird’s talents were made for a live stage and played through towering, ear-bursting amps. She breathed pop punk back to life with the track’s gritty, grueling bass lines as she sang about the industry’s perpetual race for success: “Government information / Poison our generation / Treat us like databases /These kids need inspiration.”
Photo via Towa Bird
With songs like “This Isn’t Me” and “A Party,” Bird let the crowd’s adrenaline and ears rest for some slower numbers. She asked the audience to turn on their phone flashlights as everyone’s voices melded into some hard-hitting lines– ones that grasp for the desire to belong and be understood. “I feel so small / This evening’s only started / I wish you’d call / Take me back to my apartment” Bird softly hummed inside a quiet pocket of the track.
The anticipation for “Sorry Sorry,” one of Bird’s top tracks about risking the jump into a relationship with a close friend sparked some of the loudest hollers of the night. “As I’m sure you’ve all experienced, falling in love with a friend can be very scary, very awkward, very uncomfortable. It’s really weird to navigate” she shared with the room before the track’s opening chords. It was a cathartic one to sing alongside other fans and Bird herself, the room thick with raw emotion and exhilaration from such precise lyricism.
Ringing in “Time to Pretend,” Bird’s infamous Spotify Single cover contributed to the nostalgic aura of the night, along with her rowdy, rocketing version of “Song 2” by Blur. With or without the guitar, it’s an element you can tell she feels most comfortable in– pure rock-n-roll.
This past summer, outfit mood boards were issued by artists like Chappell Roan and NIKI for fans to dress up in come the date of their show. Bird decided to hop on the train for this mini-tour run, and this particular evening might have been the most iconic: “I’ve been trying to do this thing where I give out themes each night. Is anyone dressed as a fucking old person right now?” Luckily, there were fans sporting ties and old man-esque caps. One thing about a Towa Bird show is how unserious it can be, and that’s what the live experience should be all about.
And Bird continued to prove exactly that. The intro to her anti-capitalistic anthem “B.I.L.L.S.” was one for the books. Putting her foot on the ground, she exclaimed how she’s cutting it to the chase with her music: “None of that silly shit anymore. Just serious music. That being said, please rise for our national anthem.” With all spotlights on her, Bird ironically dived into an electric rendition of the National Anthem before the chords for “B.I.L.L.S.” shook the room with full force. Screaming about the pains of student debt and paying rent left the crowd on a rebellious high that would be hard to come down from at the end of the night. By declaring the finale with the distorted guitars of “Drain Me,” Bird successfully stamped the evening with an unforgettable performance.
Bird continues to break boundaries by redefining what an American Hero can look like, and we’re certain her rockstar journey has just begun. Her mini tour will continue until October 1st, where she’ll make pitstops in New York and Maryland.
