Leith Ross — Lodge Room in Highland Park, CA — May 23, 2023

On May 23rd, I found myself at the Highland Park venue, the Lodge Room, to see Leith Ross on their first-ever headlining tour. Fans were eagerly queued down the alley early before the show, and the crew was humming with excitement during soundcheck. Leith’s eyes were glimmering all through our time together, and that glimmer only increased as the evening went on. The two opening acts were powerhouse songwriters in their own right; Kaleah Lee and Searows. Kaleah Lee was a fairy in a white dress singing harmonies that put the audience in a lulled trance. Searows was the perfect act to precede the show with beautifully devastating lyrics and angelic sounds. Both artists captivated the venue with only their voices and acoustic guitars. 

When Leith Ross came on stage, it felt like seeing your friend who you have your own secret language with. Leith has become well known for their deeply intimate writing of events and emotions that are both singularly defining and universally known. They came onto the stage with a full accompanying band of harmonizing singers, acoustic guitars, a double bass, and drums. The show was full of beautiful arrangements, haunting lyrics, and a crowd that clung to every syllable. At one point in the show, Leith talked about how the peak of human experience to them is people singing along together. To have written songs that would unite people at the peak of human experience was an honor for Leith Ross and for the participating crowd. With songs like “Guts” and “(You) On My Arm,” the crowd sang along in the safe space between notes and shared experiences, and the Lodge Room was an echo chamber of unified voices. The night ended with a packed-out room singing along to one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, “We’ll Never Have Sex”. An evening with Leith Ross truly felt like a depolluting of any heavy feelings you walked in carrying, and instead, an exchange for one of the most beautiful human experiences of singing together. With the tour just beginning, take every chance you have to see and experience Leith Ross live and stream their newest album, To Learn. 

Words & Photography: Victoria Alexis