Review: Alex G at The Anthem on Oct. 7

When you’re standing behind the three tallest men in the venue at Alex G’s concert, you can’t rely on the chance that you’ll catch a glimpse or make eye contact with the artist to carry you through the show. Instead, you have to start paying a lot more attention to three things: the large-scale production of lights and sound, the pure quality of the live music, and the energy of the crowd. 

The Tuesday night attendees were a mixed crowd, ranging from tweens with their parents to thirty-somethings coming from work or a fitness class. Few people were dressed up—everyone was just there to experience the show and turn in for the night soon after. Still, the energy was palpable. The audience whooped and cheered at the first sign that opening act Nilüfer Yanya, a British singer-songwriter, was about to take the stage.

When Alex G and his bandmates finally came on a few minutes after nine, they jumped right into the sixth song off his 2025 album Headlights, “Louisiana.” It was an interesting starting choice, as the vocal tone and manipulation in the song is significantly different than the rest of the album and Alex G’s discography. Still, the instrumental breaks set the tone for the show as a whole.

Image Credit: Dorsa Tajvidi

For those at the show expecting the same kind of music you might hear from Alex G on Spotify, something you can put on in the background, they were met with quite a surprise. The artist’s live performances lean much harder into rock influences, with bright flashing lights and drawn-out guitar solos. The performance also included departures from the melancholy tone of much of Alex G’s music, with lighthearted breaks. Between the main set and the seven-song encore, which is different every show, Los Lonely Boys’ “Heaven” blasted over the speakers. 

When the band returned, it was as though the energy in the room had been restored, like the encore was a second show in and of itself. This section included “Gnaw,” “Powerful Man,” and “The Same,” which hadn’t been performed since 2014. “This is real music, man,” one audience member declared between songs. It was clear that the rest of the crowd agreed.

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Lorelei Schwarz is a freshman in the College, considering majors in linguistics and English (but please don’t quote her on that). She is currently Co-Archivist for the INDY.