HALF ALIVE 3.10.2022

Words and Photos By Faith Nguyen

The California-based trio, Half Alive, moved a packed crowd in Boston on 3/11. Promoting their newest album release, “Give me Your Shoulders Part 1” the alternative band played their 11th show of the tour at Boston’s Royale to a captivated crowd. Superfans line the front rows along the barricade, touting homemade signs, merch, and VIP lanyards. Between this and the crowd nearly falling to the back of the venue before the opener, Daisy the Great, it was clear that many people had been waiting a long time to see Half Alive perform.

Anticipation swelled as the clock drew nearer to 9, the audience holding their breath between each song played in the background, hoping the brief silence would signal the start of Half Alive’s set. Finally, that moment arrived, and as the house lights grew dim, the crowd roared. It was the moment everyone had been waiting for. With tippy-toes and craned necks, hoping to get the best view of the beloved trio taking to the stage, the eager crowd was met with…a sheet? Instead of the band, out walked two stagehands, who unraveled a white tarp almost as tall as the stage itself, whilst the intro to “Tip Toes,” off the band’s first EP, played. Light emerged from behind, painting silhouettes of the band members on the sheet, energizing the crowd. With Half Alive now in sight, but just out of reach, the tension in the venue drew to a peak, just as frontman Josh Taylor began to sing, backed by drummer Brett Kramer and bassist J Tyler Johnson. The audience sang along with him as the lights behind the sheet moved, distorting and overlapping the band's shadows for a unique visual effect. Then, in an incredible beat-drop moment, the sheet was dropped, revealing the band, just as the song reached its most energetic chorus. 

Half Alive’s dramatics continued throughout the night, putting on a performance that was just as visual as it was musical. In an iconic moment of Half Alive’s performances, a piece of canvas and spray paint were brought out on stage for Taylor to decorate. As tradition at their shows, he spray-painted the acronym, “GMYS 1”, standing for the title of their album, then threw it into the crowd full of pleading hands. The set continued, and in another staple of their performances, their music was highlighted by choreographed dance numbers. Amidst “RUNAWAY”, Taylor was joined onstage by Jordan Johnson and Aidan Carberry, the JA Collective, in an intricate contemporary dance routine. The crowd went wild in response to the stunning visuals they created, only heightening the emotion of the song it was paired with. Later in the evening, a much more stripped-down, but equally as powerful moment occurred. With no production, no supporting band, and no light besides a single white spotlight, Taylor performed an impactful section of spoken-word poetry. Full of perfectly timed gestures, passionate facial expressions, and allusions to lyrics of the band’s songs, this section of the set was the most emotional. So different, too, from the rest of the production, his poetry was met with awed silence from the crowd. 

These moments, though short in duration, proved to be incredibly memorable. As a whole, Half Alive’s unique sound was conveyed through an equally unique performance, characterized by moments like those mentioned, some of which I had never experienced at a live show before. As the band and supporting dancers took their bows, brilliant smiles lit the performers' faces. The crowd roared as Taylor covered his face with his hands in what appeared to be a mix of happiness and gratitude. The crowd too seemed to beam with pride, and if there is one takeaway from the night, it is that Half Alive is a band that makes you feel it.

HALF ALIVE