The Bootleg Theater, known for its ambiance and diverse art space, hosted an intimate show featuring Devon Welsh and opener Sorry Girls in the heart of Los Angeles. Sorry Girls set the tone for the evening with melodic vocals that had everyone swaying and nodding their heads. Even people at the ping pong table in the front left of the room saw their performance. When Welsh entered the room what immediately stood out was that he didn’t use the stage. He started by standing in front of it and addressing the room, inviting everyone to circle around. I assumed he would get on stage after his introduction, but he stayed on the floor, eye-level with the audience, for the entire performance. Before each song he would give a few words on what it was about or what it meant to him, saying many of his songs were about love which is a theme that he thinks should be explored in many ways. His singing held the attention of everyone in the room, resulting in complete silence from everyone.  The music was calming but at the same time powerful enough to keep everyone’s energy up. He even commented on how the energy in the room made him enjoy performing and how he would keep pushing it up with each song. Later in the performance, an interpretive dancer stood in the center of the half-circle to do an improvisational dance to the music. The friendliness and communal aspect of this performance was unlike any other.

Devon Welsh

Sorry Girls

All Photos by Stephen Hoffmeister