On a chilly winter evening, Avery Lynch brought her hometown mini-tour to Boston. At Chase Young Gallery, an eclectic art gallery in the Sowa (South of Washington) district, Lynch handed out hot chocolate to every fan who walked through the doors. Greeting each of them with a smile and hug, Lynch set the tone for a uniquely personal and adorably wholesome evening. As Lynch greeted everybody, fans took their perches for the evening on the floor, greeting each other excitedly, as if they’d known each other for years, all rejoicing over Lynch’s first time headlining in Boston.
Taking her seat behind a piano surrounded by candlelight, Lynch welcomed her sold-out audience as a whole, who sat on the floor in front of her on blankets in their PJ’s. “I’m gonna play some songs for you tonight,” Lynch began, “I hope you enjoyed your hot chocolate. You look so cute and cozy!”
Lynch explained to the audience that she had lived in Boston, and that she was “so happy to be back” to play her first headline show here.
After playing many fan-favorites from her discography, Lynch invited the audience to sing along with her as she began a soft, lovely rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Arms around each other and hot chocolates in hand, the now-close-knit crowd happily obliged. “It’s how I feel about all of you,” Lynch confessed regarding the choice of cover, to which the crowed “awwed” in delight. Lynch responded in earnest, “It’s true!”
Lynch’s songs hit close to home for her audience, especially her older deep-cuts. As Lynch descended into “You’re Just a Guy,” her fans gasped quietly in excitement, humming along as she sang. Many of the songs she played had been written in Boston, Lynch explained.
Lynch whispered, “I can hear you,” teasing the audience for their quiet voices. True, the art gallery setting made for a naturally quiet room. Yet, Lynch encouraging their participation. Toward the end of her set, Lynch told the crowd, “Since it’s just us, I thought it’d be fun to show you some new songs.” The audience cheered in excitement. The song would be more upbeat than her usual, Lynch noted, but was quick to tease“Nothing is upbeat when I do it,” she said with a chuckle. She introduced the song’s title, “Dead to Me,” to which the audience began to laugh. Lynch joined in, realizing she’d never realized the irony of the song’s name and her introduction for it.
As her set came to a close, Lynch spoke about her most recent release, “Rain,” which she was able to release early because it went viral on TikTok. The song’s meaning, she explained, was a “physical rain check… not wanting to go on a date so bad that you wish it would rain.”
She thanked the crowd for participating and took a group photo with the audience to this inaugural show, afterward meeting them for hugs, merch, and photos.
I was able to speak with one local fan, Shae Senter, who ran the Avery Lynch HQ Instagram page for the Boston show. “I found Avery’s music when I was in a long distance relationship as a teenager,” she told me. She discovered Lynch’s music with “all i need (the distance song),” however, she became a major fan in the last year. “Avery is really good at portraying all the feelings of opening yourself up to someone, whether it’s in a good or bad situation,” Senter explained. “She has a different perspective in each song and it’s really cool to see between the black and white of being hurt by someone or the opposite; unintentionally hurting someone.” Senter continued, noting that a lot of music focuses on being hurt, and as “someone who’s been on both sides,” as she describes, “it’s important to not paint yourself as a bad person just because you have human feelings,” which Lynch portrays beautifully.
On Lynch’s first headline tour, Senter added, “I’m thrilled to meet people who have similar experiences as me. There is nothing more special than seeing an artist light up a room and see the disbelief in their eyes.” Senter praised Lynch’s lyricism, commenting on the comforting nature of her words paired with soft piano or acoustic guitar. “I would love to see the production change and come to life on a stage,” Senter added. “I listen to a lot of artists similar to Avery in a technical way, but also in a way where they’re all so full of love and art to give. I’d love to see them work together to bring more attention to their music. It’s so astounding to grow with an artist and their music.” When Senter first found Lynch’s music, she was “sixteen and in love” and Lynch’s “distance song” was a constant for her. “Now I’m twenty one and dealing with different types of heartbreak all the time and still find ways to see myself in her lyrics,” she reflected.
In conversation with Lynch herself, I asked her what the hometown mini tour meant to her and how she plans to continue furthering her career and style. To be back in Boston performing a headline show, she told me, was a very “full- circle moment.” Much of her music was written in or about Boston, and her career began picking up when she lived here, as well. “Coming back and it being my own show… is just the craziest thing ever,” she gushed. “I really hope each time I come back to take one step up.” She’s happy to have started in small rooms with “a few beautiful, amazing, wonderful people,” and is ecstatic to fill bigger venues when the time comes.
