LIVE REVIEW: Billie Eilish Astonishes Audience At House Of Blues, Boston
From around the corner, I could see fans dressed in Blosh merch, donning camo pants and crop tops and beanies, all emanating Billie in some way. I saw dedicated listeners in ponchos and hiding their heads under pizza boxes and shivering in the rain behind Fenway Park waiting for doors to open at 6:00 P.M. During the short drive past the line outside the venue, I knew it was going to be an insane concert, because if an artist can inspire hundreds of teens to willingly stand in early November rain in crop tops, they must be good.
Billie’s opening acts seemed to represent her fusing of more alternative music and lyrics with the beats associated with hip-hop and rap on the radio today. The first opener was her brother, FINNEAS, who has helped write and produce songs with Billie. He wrote the song that shot her to soundcloud fame, “Ocean Eyes”. His musical talent was exemplified in his ability to move back and forth from piano ballads, to catchy guitar songs, back to the piano for an impatient, infectious tune, and back again to the guitar. Not only was he able to handle oscillating between instruments, but he also had incredible composition, that did not overpower or undermine his voice. Rather, his arrangements complimented his vocals, a skill that sometimes seems to be lost with the overly explosive tracks a lot of artists seem to produce. Finneas’ precise musicality coupled with his smooth voice was wonderful, and got the whole crowd of teen girls screaming. The low thrum of his singing matched with the decisive strums of his guitar infected the audience with excitement. The crowd wasn’t just excited for Billie anymore, but excited for the incredible music that came with Finneas.
The second opening act was Childish Major, and the least I can say is he was not for me. His voice wasn’t enjoyable for me, and I wasn’t interested by the production on his tracks either. However, the crowd around me seemed to enjoy his music. Childish Major was an incredible performer though, and had an overflow of energy that spilled out into the crowd. He was jumping and running across the stage and leaning down to every part of the pit. He engaged the audience with a fun call and response to get the concert-goers hyped up for Billie, and his cover of Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams” got everyone in the crowd singing, even myself. Even if his music wasn’t my taste, Childish Major’s energy was infectious, and only added to the atmosphere of anxious excitement that ran through the audience.
At last, a chilling bass rang through the speaker system, and the crowd erupted with screams for Billie, as ominous beams of white light shot from the stage. When the beams faded into a red glow Billie appeared, standing on the back of a giant spider that took up the back two thirds of the stage. The intro to the show was incredibly well done, with the backing tracks and instruments so loud that I could feel my ribs vibrate with the bass. The lights floated around the audience, illuminating those who came to witness the performance of Billie Eilish.
Her vocals were crisp and you could hear the raw emotion that stemmed from the smooth rasp on the lower notes, and the feeling like a breath of fresh air that came with higher ones. Each song was sung better live than what was recorded, which is what any concert-goer wants when attending a show. Her impeccable vocal skills, paired with her ridiculous energy had the crowd singing every word, and with each new song was a new way the pit moved, in constant motion with the singer. Billie jumped with every explosive song and floated across the stage in excitement, interacting with fans on every level of viewing. She commanded the room around her and dictated the audience with each pop of her shoulder or turn of her head. She even had control on slower songs, where she would sit again on the spider’s back, and all eyes were on her as she was just a shadow amongst a foggy white light. Her bright blue hair coupled with her neon orange outfit made her stand out against the black of the stage and she loomed over the room. Not only was her dancing and singing amazing, but her ukulele skills stole the show during songs like “Party Favor” where she ran across the stage with her small instrument, strumming and singing along with everyone in front of her.
Billie’s insane energy had everyone’s eyes focused on her as she shot back and forth into the air, and as she darted left and right her vocals never wavered. Her performance made you want to dance. There was never a dull moment in the pit, whether we were crouching during “Copycat” only to jump up again, or swaying together during “Six Feet Under”, she never lost her grip on the audience and always had us engaged. She proved to be incredibly entertaining at 16, despite those who underestimate her due to her age. Billie is improving the way the concert experience affects fans, because her persistent spirit and intensity grasped the audience and held them throughout her last song, with excessive bass and loud vocals that invigorated the crowd. Her live show was full of life and there was never a dull moment with Billie Eilish.
Written By Elizabeth Miller
