“Therapy saw me naked
26 years I’ve waited”
It would be difficult to find another concert quite as moving, in the figurative and literal sense, as the one Half Alive put on in Dallas this past weekend. They gave a visually stunning musical performance that left everyone’s eyes and ears in awe.
We open up to a canvas being stretched out, covering the entire view of the stage. The lights filter through, and then we jump straight into “Tip Toes” as the spotlight quickly moves to and from each band member, creating dramatic silhouettes that move with the music. It’s a classic Half Alive start, setting the tone for what was a mesmerizing mesh of music and choreography. The Give Me Your Shoulder Tour is their first headlining tour since 2019, and they pulled out all the stops to give fans an unforgettable experience.
Starting off with some of their earlier works “Tip Toes” and “The Fall”, with their alt-rock influences, we are then led into a more indie-funk centered genre with “arrow” and “still feel.”. Not to be left out, plenty of songs from their most recent album such as “What’s Wrong” and “Make of It” were also included. But no matter the song, fans were singing at the top of their lungs, moving and grooving to music as much as the band was, and the band was definitely moving. At least lead singer Josh Taylor was. Accompanied by Jordan Johnson and Aidan Carberry (aka JA Collective), nearly every song had choreography thoughtfully incorporated into it. The dances were just so well done that one wonders whether this was a concert venue or a dance hall. Hands would intertwine and seamlessly move to and fro, creating visual effects that paired with the tone of each song. With bassist J. Tyler Johnson and drummer Brett Kramer as the base of the music, everything came together perfectly.
Thoughtful is one way to describe how Half Alive goes about their concerts. Each song seems to flow into a stream of consciousness. The lyrics tell the thoughts, and the dance visually brings to life the emotion. At least that is how it was conveyed to the audience. During the show, Josh gave a beautiful monologue which momentarily turned into the lyrics for “aawake at night”. The lyrics that especially rang out were “Cause I’ve been abandoned by my company, I’ll search for what’s in front of me, And hope that I find something new”. It was a thought-provoking moment, but one which was welcomed among the crowd as they seemed to resonate with the feeling. Half Alive lays their emotions and thoughts out for the world to see, and that’s what makes them and their shows amazing.
“Life isn’t what I made it
My past is what I make of it”
You can find upcoming tour dates at halfalive.co.
Photos and words by Kitty Jong (@kijophoto)
