Vance Joy & Elle King
March 3, 2016
Shrine Auditorium- Los Angeles, CA
Early Thursday evening, fans piled into the Shrine Auditorium for a night full of relaxing feel good music. Kicking off the night was Jamie Lawson, whose solo performance underwhelmed; it was all very slow and forgetful to those who haven’t already heard of Lawson and his chart topping album. Nonetheless, the night would only improve and to do so was Elle King.
Elle King and her band came on stage to a roaring applause and instantly had the crowd dancing along to her raspy voice which perfectly blended with her array of blues, rock and country style. She entertained the crowd with not only her musical performance but with her humor and her nonchalant, rock-star attitude which made the crowd love her even more. She performed Good to Be a Man and instantly followed it with Good For Nothin’ Woman; After the two, she told the crowd she plays 
those songs back to back so no on gets offended. King really connected with the audience, telling personal stories about growing up in LA, and answering the question people always have for artists- “Doesn’t that song get boring to play?” King mentioned that playing her songs every night does get boring so if the crowd didn’t mind, she would perform one of her favorite songs in the world; everyone cheered and she continued with Oh! Darling by The Beatles. Of course, the hit song of the night was not surprinsgly Ex’s & Oh’s, with the crowd being heard echoing through the venue while singing the chorus. Elle King definitely had the most energetic performance of the night and did an amazing job connecting with the audience. It was a very lighthearted performance and definitely the best of the night.
After Elle King’s performance, a small chunk of the audience made their way for the exit, but the fans there for Vance Joy all seemed very dedicated and loyal to him. Fans held posters expressing their love for him, as well as detailing how long they had traveled to come to the show, with one fan claiming to have driven 8 hours for the show. With the lights dimmed, the curtain at the back of the stage lowered, revealing large letters spelling out “Vance Joy”. Cell phones instantly went into the air to photograph the sign as James Keogh (Vance Joy), made his way to center stage. He kicked off the night with Mess is Mine and throughout the night, just provided very feel good music, playing on his ukulele every now and then and telling stories in between songs to the crowd.
The Fire and the Flood really impressed the sold out Los Angeles crowd and I would definitely suggest purchasing tickets, even if you only like one of the three musicians. Elle King will definitely blow you away with her vocals and charm while Vance Joy will put you in a happy, dancing mood. If you’re a fan of indie pop, blues, rock or country, then this tour definitely has something for you.
Review by: Nicole Lemberg
Vance Joy
Elle King
Jamie Lawson
