I get to the concert three hours early to find a humble yet strong line coming from the entrance of Stubbs Amphitheater. As I walked down to the end of the line, I counted the people—Well, I didn't quite literally "count" them, but I noticed them, of course. I have been interested in the evolving fanbase of Alex G. Alex G started out as an artist who found fame in the internet's dirty crevices. He was most popular in the 4chan/mu/ sphere, and that's how it was for years of Alex G's career. Now, his music is often regarded as "TikTok" music, with his song “Sarah” exploding on the app. Suddenly, Alex G was not the humble little artist that 4chan users gatekept from the world, but now one of the most popular artists of our generation. Knowing how the 4chan users can be, I imagine that the explosion was repulsive for them. So, I wondered if such fans would be present at this concert, or if it would mostly be TikTok people.
The crowd was...interesting...to say the least. I found myself one of the oldest people there, except for many Gen X parents. In line, I stood next to a young girl, her mom, and her uncle. I started a conversation with the family, asking the young girl her favorite songs, to which she gave me good, thoughtful answers. I was impressed. The mother let me have a lot of her French fries, too. So, as I insidiously judged the crowd for their youth and "TikTok" style, I was rewarded with friendship and French fries. Perhaps God was trying to teach me a lesson.
When we finally make it inside, I find my place standing next to a young man dressed as the 2019 Joker. I almost barfed in my mouth just writing that. But, again, he was wholesome and kind. Cringe, but kind. Then, this random girl I met at a party once finds me, and I join her. Together, we remark on how young the crowd is. It was weird. We felt this simultaneous cringe and endearment. We didn't know how to feel. How can we enjoy this concert with these contradicting feelings?
Luckily, Alex G swept me away from the moral dilemma I was in. Appearing to be drunk, he sang terribly to my heart, pulling at the strings with each wrong note. I felt like a little girl. I imagined my own fanfiction, where somehow he was looking at me the whole time and was in love with me, somehow. His bandmate, Samuel Acchione, was also incredible. I wondered how I could choose from the two boys, as if I were stuck in some romance novel love triangle.
Now, to talk about this music, as this is a music-centered organization: I loved how intimate the performance was. Even though Alex G is now a highly successful and popular artist, he plays like he did when he just began. The performance was rough, improvisational, quirky, and real. He drunkenly sang "Shallow" from A Star is Born as a transition into "Brick." He played his guitar facing away from the crowd, choosing to feel the energy of his band. He jumped off the stage and into the crowd (I, unfortunately, was ambushed by the children and could not touch his romance-novel-infused hand). But, being towards the front of the crowd, I got to see the band's faces so clearly; their eyes watching over us as we watched them. I wondered what Alex G thinks of his fanbase now, if he sees the young crowd and reevaluates where his own music is going. If he felt this weird cringe-endearment feeling that I had, and if he had it for me, too.
After the concert, the random girl-I-met-at-a-party girl and I went to a 7/11 and bought some slushies. Our conversation floated like bubbles and was sprinkled with many giggles. We stayed close to each other in the dark of the night, afraid of the suspicious-looking strangers we passed by. In the Uber ride home, the driver tells me of his theories about the JFK assassination (Jackie did it).
So, yes, the concert was amazing. Yes, his fanbase is mostly from TikTok. Yes, I felt romantic feelings for every band member. Perhaps I'm just a little kid, too.