Alex G’s authenticity shines on second to last stop of God Save the Animals tour
By Micaela Hanson
December 10, 2022
Image Credit: Micaela Hanson for The Campus Trainer
Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter Alex G has a history in Maryland, and his ties are a lot more local to the University of Maryland campus than one would expect; with his signature written on the walls of UMD’s radio station, WMUC, the on-the-rise musician left behind his mark along with the memory of when he performed an intimate set live on campus nearly 10 years ago.
On Nov. 17, Alex G — short for Alexander Giannascoli — returned to the district for two sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club.
He commenced his tour after his September release of God Save the Animals, a new album that marked a change in Alex G’s discography. According to a Sept. 22 Vanity Fair article, God Save the Animals, a folksy indie rock album, was his first recorded in a professional studio.
“[The album] live… was really good. I was skeptical at first,” said Lucas, a concertgoer who attended the show with his sister Madeline.
Alex G strolled onstage 10 minutes after 9 p.m. in his usual unassuming fashion. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt with a large skeleton scribbled on the back in sharpie, and a pair of baggy blue jeans.
Throughout his hour-and-a-half set, Alex G’s enthusiasm never wavered. The audience was supportive of the artist during his entire performance, and he appeared to thrive off the positive energy. Fans screamed the lyrics to Alex G’s songs, and in return, he
During a heartfelt performance of “Miracles,” an audience member yelled: “You’re gonna be a great dad one day, Alex.” Through the track’s lyrics, Alex G grapples with the past and discusses the possibility of having a child with his current partner.
“I think it was apparent that [Alex G] really loved what he was doing,” said Lucas.
Another Alex G fan and concertgoer, Astmar Rupp, experienced his first concert on the night of Nov. 17. Before the concert even began, Rupp was confident that it would be a memorable first experience.
After Alex G’s main set, Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” echoed through the walls of the 9:30 Club, a song that Alex G is known for covering live. While he, unfortunately, didn’t perform it live during his D.C. concert, the crowd opened up a mosh pit. The pit was a mess of long, shaggy hair where young fans thrived off the irony of moshing to a pop-country song.
“I really hope he goes back to his old stuff. Because that’s what is really great,” said Raven Noel, 23, a fan who has seen Alex G four times. After he performed his main setlist which almost entirely consisted of material from God Save the Animals, his encore was a nostalgic trip for Noel and other fans of Alex G’s older discography. To everyone’s surprise, the encore comprised an astounding six songs.
For me, the encore was arguably the best part of the show. Although Alex G stuck to performing more of his newer tracks from God Save The Animals, he favored the audience for the last stint. I didn’t want it to end. Alex G played fan favorites such as “Sarah,” a song known for its virality on TikTok, as well as “Harvey,” a bright and catchy pop-leaning track, and “Mis,” a folksy ballad with clunky piano chords.
After the show, some fans puffed on cigarettes and chatted in groups about the concert. Amidst the post-concert chaos, a fan clutched onto her favorite Alex G album Beach Music while waiting for a ride home. The brother and sister duo, Lucas and Madeline who attended the concert together raved about Alex G’s band and the sound quality at the venue.
“Quality. It was a quality concert,” said Madeline after the show.
On Nov. 17, Alex G — short for Alexander Giannascoli — returned to the district for two sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club.
He commenced his tour after his September release of God Save the Animals, a new album that marked a change in Alex G’s discography. According to a Sept. 22 Vanity Fair article, God Save the Animals, a folksy indie rock album, was his first recorded in a professional studio.
“[The album] live… was really good. I was skeptical at first,” said Lucas, a concertgoer who attended the show with his sister Madeline.
Alex G strolled onstage 10 minutes after 9 p.m. in his usual unassuming fashion. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt with a large skeleton scribbled on the back in sharpie, and a pair of baggy blue jeans.
Throughout his hour-and-a-half set, Alex G’s enthusiasm never wavered. The audience was supportive of the artist during his entire performance, and he appeared to thrive off the positive energy. Fans screamed the lyrics to Alex G’s songs, and in return, he
During a heartfelt performance of “Miracles,” an audience member yelled: “You’re gonna be a great dad one day, Alex.” Through the track’s lyrics, Alex G grapples with the past and discusses the possibility of having a child with his current partner.
“I think it was apparent that [Alex G] really loved what he was doing,” said Lucas.
Another Alex G fan and concertgoer, Astmar Rupp, experienced his first concert on the night of Nov. 17. Before the concert even began, Rupp was confident that it would be a memorable first experience.
After Alex G’s main set, Tom Cochrane’s “Life is a Highway” echoed through the walls of the 9:30 Club, a song that Alex G is known for covering live. While he, unfortunately, didn’t perform it live during his D.C. concert, the crowd opened up a mosh pit. The pit was a mess of long, shaggy hair where young fans thrived off the irony of moshing to a pop-country song.
“I really hope he goes back to his old stuff. Because that’s what is really great,” said Raven Noel, 23, a fan who has seen Alex G four times. After he performed his main setlist which almost entirely consisted of material from God Save the Animals, his encore was a nostalgic trip for Noel and other fans of Alex G’s older discography. To everyone’s surprise, the encore comprised an astounding six songs.
For me, the encore was arguably the best part of the show. Although Alex G stuck to performing more of his newer tracks from God Save The Animals, he favored the audience for the last stint. I didn’t want it to end. Alex G played fan favorites such as “Sarah,” a song known for its virality on TikTok, as well as “Harvey,” a bright and catchy pop-leaning track, and “Mis,” a folksy ballad with clunky piano chords.
After the show, some fans puffed on cigarettes and chatted in groups about the concert. Amidst the post-concert chaos, a fan clutched onto her favorite Alex G album Beach Music while waiting for a ride home. The brother and sister duo, Lucas and Madeline who attended the concert together raved about Alex G’s band and the sound quality at the venue.
“Quality. It was a quality concert,” said Madeline after the show.