On September 12th, Tove Lo and opener UPSAHL gave Boston’s Roadrunner a performance 2 Die 4.
With an audience that came to the party for more than just the drugs, UPSAHL delivered with a killer 13-song set.
It’s easy to recognize why SPIN Magazine dubbed her “one of the most exciting new voices in music” as her gritty vocals powered through “People I Don’t Like” and “Into My Body.”
Before slowing things down, with “Toast,” a collaboration with Tove Lo, UPSAHL performed “WET WHITE TEE SHIRT (SIDE A)” from her most recent release Vol. 3 of THE PHX TAPES. The project is a vulnerable and existential homage to 90s mixtapes.
“We’re done being sad. We’re dancing now,” she called out to the crowd before performing the heart-racing, “STOP!”
The rest of her set showcased her ability to command attention on any size stage, whether it is Lollapalooza or Roadrunner. Upstage, downstage, or in the crowd, she had the audience watching her every move and listening to every note.
However, all the while, fans were intrigued by the giant covered set pieces that loomed in the background. With a giant neon vagina on Tove Lo’s previous tour, expections were high, all the time.
Moments before Tove Lo arrived on stage, her crew pulled back the curtains to reveal giant handpainted, puffy clouds illuminated by sunset lighting, a nod to old gladiator epics and her Dirt Femme era.
Rocking armour and a literal breast plate, one of three costumes, Tove Lo emerged from behind the clouds.
“We’ll cry and dance all at the same time, which makes sense to emotional people,” Tove Lo foreshadowed of her 20 song set.
It was impossible not to combine the two with the Grammy nominee’s vulnerable and raw lyrics and her hip swaying, ass shaking, hand clapping melodies in songs like “Attention Whore” and “disco tits”
Before slowing things down briefly for “Moments,” she revealed that the 2015 release “is the one I based my whole artistry around.”
Over the years, Tove Lo’s sound has evolved, however lyrics like “I’m not the prettiest you’ve ever seen, But I have my moments, I have my moments” are still distinctly Tove Lo and hit just as hard.
Another glimpse at her start was her performance of her hit single “High,” which she noted as “the song that changed my life.”
Like UPSAHL, Tove Lo knows how to command attention from on stage or in the crowd. Fans sang along to every lyric and cheered as she climbed down from the stage to give high-fives to the entire front row.
By the end of the night, Tove Lo had the crowd floating on cloud 9, captivated by her artistry.
No one dies from love, but Boston might be the first.
Catch Tove Lo in October at Austin City Limits!
