Preview: half•alive To Perform At Lincoln Theatre

Hailing all the way from Long Beach, California, genre-bending trio half•alive is set to storm the stage of the Lincoln Theatre next week on Monday, March 7, 2022 with opener Daisy the Great. The tour promotes the band’s latest LP, Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1, released on streaming February 11, 2022. The group took off in 2018 after their single “still feel” rose to popularity, securing their spot in the music industry by penning a deal with RCA Records.

Vocalist Josh Taylor nurtured the first inklings of a band in 2015 when he accepted a challenge from a friend and mentor to write 50 songs in seven months –– “still feel” was the eleventh song jotted down during this binge. As he grew in confidence, Taylor recruited percussionist Brett Kramer and finally bassist J Tyler Johnson to round out the trio. In 2019, the group sold out their debut headline tour.

A singular alternative act, half•alive incorporates R&B, funk, pop, rock and soul in a kaleidoscope of colorful sounds. Drum machines alternate with acoustic kits, and synths crash together with guitars. Taylor’s unique vocals dip in and out of filters overtop rhythmically complex instrumentals. Their specific brand of sonic art is somewhere between AJR and Twenty One Pilots, or lovelytheband and Declan McKenna. It’s poppy but mature, containing lyrics that wrestle with the progression of life and the craving for profound intimacy. Their impeccably choreographed and curated music videos provide stunning visuals equal to the ambition in their music.

half•alive arrives in D.C. supported by Daisy the Great, a folk pop duo out of Brooklyn consisting of Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker. Traditional instrumentation and duets rule the roost in Daisy the Great’s discography, where the two explore melody and harmony through a varied litany of chill and invigorating, slow and fast tracks. The duo crafts their music with live performances in mind, and as half•alive’s frontman Taylor used to be in film school, so he’s sure to be a delight on the stage if the choreographed music videos didn’t hint it enough. With these two powerhouse acts, I wouldn’t be surprised if tickets sold out –– be sure to grab them here and join me for a spectacular show!