iradiophilly | Culture - Concert Review: Alexz Johnson at World CafÃ© Live 6/19/14 Philadelphia (setlist)

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The Post

by: BArmstrong - Philadelphia, PA
started: 06/26/14 4:06 pm | updated: 06/26/14 4:22 pm

Indie singer and songwriter, Alexz Johnson, opened for Max Schneider at World CafÃ© Live on June 19th, 2014. This talented musician has gained a significant following not only from her music, but also through her acting abilities over the years. Being cast as main characters in both So Weird and Instant Star, Johnson was able to not only act, but also showcase her singing abilities by playing characters that were musicians. At this point in time, Alexz Johnson has taken a break from acting to focus on her musical career and tour the United States and, earlier in the year, Europe.

In January of 2014, Johnson released the Heart EP, which included four tracks: "American Dreamer," "This Is Heartache," "Nothin' On Me," and "Thank You For Breaking My Heart." The EP is a fitting collection of songs that demonstrate Johnson's talent with her soulful vocals and powerful lyrics being integrated with captivating melodies and percussion. Four of the five tracks were played at the show on June 19 at World CafÃ© Live.

The show was featured at the bottom floor of the venue and had a substantial amount of people filling the main floor, bar, and mezzanine. Although Johnson was opening for Max Schneider, she received a large amount of applause upon walking onstage. Johnson began the show playing "American Dreamer," the first song off her new EP, alone onstage. After her first song, she introduced her two friends to the stage, Breezy Baldwin, playing a cajÃ³n, and Megan Cox, playing the piano. In between each song, Alexz conversed with the crowd effortlessly, expressing her love for not only Philadelphia, but also all the fans that came out to see her performance.

When announcing that she was going to play "This Is Heartache," Alexz received an overwhelming response of excitement from the crowd. This song is one of the more popular tracks of her new EP and discusses the difficulties that coincide with the ending of a relationship. The crowd became nearly silent as she began playing the song, the only noise that could be heard were the voices of those singing closer to the stage. As she progressed through the intimate song, her strong vocals filled the room as the crowd watched her as she poured an immense amount of emotion into the lyrics she sang. I found this to be the most memorable song of the night.

In the middle of her set, Alexz announced that she was going to perform a new song from her album, apparently titled "Let Them Eat Cake," after I researched the name. She then explained that the audience must sing two parts of the song in order for the performance to work. There was a sense of awkward tension that filled the room as those watching began looking at one another, some shaking their heads expressing their unease in regard to singing lyrics out loud. When the song began and Alexz cued the crowd to sing, the lyrics were sung at a surprisingly loud volume. By the time the last line was requested of the audience, Alexz received a roar of voices from the crowd, as the entire audience seemed to chime in.

Alexz closed her set with a song from her Skipping Stone EP, titled "Walking," which is a slow acoustic ballad, and one of her more popular songs. A handful of fans began singing aloud with her as she played, and was a fitting way to end a remarkable performance. Being the opening act for another artist, I expected to see an uninterested audience, as I've experienced when seeing opening acts in the past. In the case of Alexz Johnson, it seemed that most of the audience was motivated to come to World CafÃ© Live to see Alexz perform as they did to see Max Schneider.

After her show, I had the pleasure of meeting Alexz outside of the room she played in. When I greeted her, she was very engaging and charming, despite the large amount of other fans waiting in line to meet her as well. I've been a fan of Alexz Johnson for many years and attending this performance was an exciting opportunity. Johnson's tremendous talent as a musician juxtaposed with her humble personality and appreciation toward fans made her performance a noteworthy experience. Keep an eye out for Alexz Johnson as she continues to tour the United States these upcoming summer months and releases her second album early this year!

Set List:
"American Dreamer"
"Heart Like That"
"This Is Heartache"
"Let Them Eat Cake"
"Thank You For Breaking My Heart"
"Mary"
"Walking"