1. House of Blues and Sight and Sound Presents gnash: Me & My Friends tour
Bria Higginbotham
House of Blues San Diego
April 8, 2016
The House of Blues San Diego has the Voodoo Room, which gives a much more intimate
setting for lesser known artists. gnash, Goody Grace, and Julius performed here and the venue
allowed for a more personal concert experience during their Me & My Friends tour. In a crowd of
around 60 people, every “I love you” and “You’re beautiful” could be heard and responded to.
The audience excitement grew with each act; however, they seemed more hyped for the interval
pop songs than they were for both of the opening acts. There is no doubt that everyone who
attended was there for gnash.
The first opener, Julius, has 5 songs available on SoundCloud all released within the past year.
Julius’ online presence is very difficult to find, as he is still a new artist, which could account for
the lower levels recognition. His desire to be cast as a heartthrob is apparent in his flirty
interactions with the females in the crowd. Part of his set was covers of popular songs, which
received the most crowd support.
Goody Grace, the second performer, also did a few covers. He was the only act of the night that
brought out a live instrument, his guitar, which coupled with his jean jacket made the nigh seem
even more intimate, as if, like the tour name states, he and his friends had all just gotten
together to play music and have fun. The highlight of his performance was his song
“Memories.” The appreciation and excitement when some members of the crowd sang along
was physically visible on his face.
This concert showed a close connection between the artists and the crowd, but also between
the three singers themselves. All three made praises of the others throughout their sets. gnash
has collaborative songs featuring both Julius and Goody Grace and he brought both of them
back to sing with him during his set.
When gnash temporarily took off his Bernie Sanders hat, the fans went crazy, his hair being
featured in his logo. They also responded excitedly whenever he came almost fully into the
crowd, which he did repeatedly throughout the show. During concerts, gnash often wears a shirt
with a daisy on it, so daisies were sold at the merchandise table. These daisies were raised
throughout the concert to show the approval and support of the fans.
The setlist was perfectly curated for the concert experience, mixing in his slower songs with his
more upbeat songs without losing any of the energy. The fans responded to every statement he
made with a cheer or proclamation of love. At the end of his set, gnash brought Goody Grace
and Julius back on stage again and played “Fuck Me Up” and everyone in the crowd pressed
forward and went wild. When the final song played, the crowd was reluctant to leave.