Alex G Revels in Immunity

Alex G performing at the Wiltern Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez

A RATHER TAME PERFORMANCE FOR AN ARTIST KNOWN TO CRAWL ON STAGE

Indie-folk darling Alexander Giannascoli; better known as (Sandy) Alex G, better better known as Alex G, took the stage at the historic Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles for a sold out show on the God Save the Animals tour. This was my first official experience with a solo concert of his, myself catching him open for Caroline Polachek last year. After seeing the various TikToks and videos of Giannascoli acting bizarre from crawling on stage and talking like a baby, this was a much more straightforward tame performance.

Australian singer Hatchie got the night started with bedroom-pop songs that fluttered around the packed tiers of the venue. Most of Alex G’s albums were on sale at the merch stand for reasonable prices along with his traditional logo ringer shirts. Although meme-worthy by most means, Alex G is respected and held high among his contemporaries: singer Dijon got a drink with his entourage while Danielle Haim, Weyes Blood, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Rostam viewed the set from the VIP area. It’s always a nice sight to see artists supporting artists.

A period of intermission featuring 90s hit songs from bands like Live and Bush fizzled out while the lights dimmed. Fans immediately lifted their iPhones and Nintendo DS’s to capture Alex G and co. start very broodingly like a seasoned musician would. There was a sense of mystery and ambiguity as Alex G sat on his piano, playing new cut S.D.O.S that’s mostly instrumental. This mystery quickly wore off as “Runner” followed along with House of Sugar single “Hope.” From then on, the band went through various tracks, but heavily relied on the new album, playing 12 on the 13 long list.

Alex G performing at the Wiltern Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez

Some may say the end of the show was when things got a bit weird: Alex G began taking songs from the audience at requests, but I figured they knew what they wanted to play and just pretended they heard a few songs that no one shouted out. I do appreciate the one-two punch that was “Icehead” and “Gnaw;” the former being my introduction to the artist and the latter being my favorite track of theirs. If the “Life is a Highway” intermission didn't get fans smiling, the cover of blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again” must have. I actually let out a few laughs when fans began to make their way to the exits while Alex G brought out collaborator Jessica Lea Mayfield. He stated “do you guys like Stone Temple Pilots?” I answered yes and so the band preceded to cover “Sour Girl” which I thought was quite riveting. It was a departure from a Third Eye Blind cover to which Alex G is a huge fan and has covered complete albums in the past. To my knowledge, this was a special treat solely for Los Angeles.

The music of Alex G is often heard among my walls, whether I’m painting or writing articles or just playing video games, so the show was an instance where I could have listened for prolonged amounts of time. I’d also like to point out that the night marked the 50th show covered by MMC* this year alone. It was a goal I set for myself early on in 2022 so I’m happy it was achieved, with much work and traction going into it. Thank you to everyone who shows up for MMC* just as I would every single time for Alex G. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!