NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
It’s been less than a month since Berlin-based singer/songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou released fifth studio album “Shelter” and she stopped in Brooklyn for the final stop of her 2023 US tour before heading up to the Newport Folk Festival. Since there were only seven US stops on the tour and two of them were in NYC, fans in the tri-state area have been able to get their ears and hearts filled with Lou.
Opening at Brooklyn Steel was bedroom pop artist Dianna Lopez from “upstate” New York. Upstate is in quotes because she’s from Rockland County, where almost anyone from outside of NYC would just say NYC, but those who live in the City or spend a lot of time there call it upstate. This actually makes her more of a true New Yorker! This was only her second show supporting Alice Phoebe Lou and she seemed extremely happy to be there, with her family watching from the balcony. Her songs were very chill and you could see the audience swaying to the music. She funnily noted that, at one point during the set, she was playing three songs in a row who’s titles start with “Moon”. Not sure what that means but there must be some inspiration there. It was a lovely set.
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Alice Phoebe Lou took the stage with what looked like a ton of nervous energy. That nervousness ended up lasting the entire show. Not sure what that was about. Perhaps it was because she had recently turned thirty, an occasion for which she said she should be able to celebrate a whole month! She kicked off her set with the “Angel”, the first track off her latest record. She ended up playing six songs from “Shelter” and her favorite track off the record is “Hammer” because the lyrics just “poured out of her” and because “it’s so fucking long!”.
She did have some technical difficulties with the batteries in her monitor as well as having to re-tune her guitar. She distracted us with a story about how much she loves going into the ocean because she lives in the middle of Germany and normally doesn’t get the chance. What she couldn’t understand is why she had to pay $9 to go into the ocean in New Jersey!! The highlight of the show for me was “Only When I” from her 2021 LP “Glow”. It felt so powerful and you could hear the emotion in her voice, even more so than on the album. This is why we go to live shows! She wrapped up the show with two upbeat songs “Lose My Head” and “Dirty Mouth”, ending the finale while lying on the ground, legs kicking in the air.
Alice Phoebe Lou will be heading over to Europe and the UK towards the end of October for a series of shows. I anticipate she’ll be back in NYC soon enough, a place where her fans will never tire of her.
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