Show of a Lifetime: Faye Webster in LA

Faye Webster performing at The Novo, LA by Jonathan Nack

first of two sold out shows in downtown la

Atlanta-born singer-songwriter Faye Webster has had a very successful career for the past 10 years. Releasing two critically acclaimed albums, Atlanta Millionaires Club and I Know I'm Funny Haha under Awful Records, she is currently touring a new round of singles that have been coming out in the past few months.

Faye Webster performing at The Novo, LA by Jonathan Nack

When arriving to The Novo in downtown LA, I noticed a line that stretched on for almost half a mile and figured that it was for one of the bigger events around but as I got closer to the venue I realized that it was indeed for Webster. I was lucky enough to get my credentials and get into the venue in time to get a wristband to stand in the pit which was a blessing, especially since they allowed photographers to shoot from the back of the venue. The stage featured a massive cutout of Webster morphed into some kind of other-worldly monster along with rocks that looked as though they fell from Mars. I made my way towards the pit and met some other fellow photographers who expressed their excitement for the evening. We were shortly greeted by the opener named Maye who is a Venezuelan-born dream-pop artist who is now based in the US. They were accompanied by their close collaborator Ori and the two of them brought the audience a multilingual musical experience. When Maye played her most popular song “Tu,” I was so glad to see fans singing along in Spanish and being present for her show. Maye thanked the crowd for their engagement and thanked Faye Webster for bringing her along on tour. 

Faye Webster performing at The Novo, LA by Jonathan Nack

Faye Webster performing at The Novo, LA by Jonathan Nack

There was a 40-minute changeover between sets before Webster brought out a six-piece band to cover all of their bases, opening with a newer song, “But Not Kiss.'“ Immediately it was clear to me how special the band was to Webster; she played the first song almost entirely in silhouette and almost treated the crowd as an afterthought for that song as all of her attention was directed toward the band. The band found many moments to jam and let loose, leaving room for improvisation. After about the first two songs, Webster greeted the audience and expressed how grateful she was to be there especially with Maye opening, citing that she has been a fan for a very long time. Stopping at nothing, the band quickly made their way into the next handful of songs, playing slow jam cuts like “Right Side Of My Neck,” “A Dream Of A Baseball Player,” and “I Know I'm Funny Haha.” There was something incredibly jazz-like about their performance, as they resolved every track on very interesting chords that led into the next song. Continuing in the same vein, Webster and the band played an instrumental cover of “Eterna City” from Pokémon which was infectious and full of charm. She’s a big Pokémon fan and some fans were decked out in merch from the popular series. Webster also showcased a new unreleased song titled “Wilco Type Beat” which lived up to the name, reminiscent of the band’s “Jesus, Etc.” I made my way back to the floor at this point where an enthusiastic Tyler, the Creator watched on.

Faye Webster performing at The Novo, LA by Jonathan Nack

In classic show fashion, the band thanked everyone and ran off stage, leaving everyone chanting for more. Without hesitation, the band came back to close out the night with one of Faye Webster’s biggest songs, “Kingston.” Usually when a show ends, everyone runs for the doors to beat the traffic but for some reason, so many people decided to hang around after the show and reminisce on their experience. Check out the setlist here!

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

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