Concert Review: Elise Trouw / The Age / Girl Blue @ Empire Underground, 3/23/2023

Elise Trouw made a memorable Albany debut Thursday night. The multi-instrumentalist brought the 2023 Losing Sleep tour to Empire Underground with Upstate natives The Age and Girl Blue to open up the show.

The Age kicked off the night with a soulful acoustic set. Accompanied by Daniel Lawson on the bass, the duo reeled the crowd in with a performance of original songs— including “Afford,” “Falling in Love Is a Dangerous Thing,” and “All About You.” The Age guided the crowd through his music with brief behind-the-song introductions. Each song and guitar riff was filled with emotion as his lyrics were brought to life.

Girl Blue followed with a set of original songs, starting off with “Same Way” from her 2021 Album Heavy Heart. The crowd was ecstatic as she introduced her next song, “Fire Under Water,” which was one of her first song releases. Throughout the set, her powerful vocals filled the room and were complimented by beautiful guitar solos from Jimi W. on the electric.

Finally, the lights dimmed to a deep red, and Elise Trouw took the stage. Known for her Live-Loop recordings, Trouw put on a remarkable one-woman show. She began her set on the drums, and the energy in the crowd heightened as she moved between instruments. Her opening song was “Losing Sleep” from her EP of the same name. Trouw captivated the audience with her beautiful vocals and talent across the drums, keys, guitar, and bass. Her set list consisted of a mix of original songs and covers, including the top-streamed song “How to Get What You Want” and “Obsession” from the Losing Sleep EP. 

Trouw’s first cover was a popular mashup of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” and The Police’s “The Bed’s Too Big Without You.” This mashup has amassed almost 10 million streams on YouTube, and it was an incredible experience to see her produce it live in concert. As she tuned down her guitar and bass, Trouw introduced her next cover: a mashup of “Everlong” by Foo Fighters and “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell, to whom she dedicated the song after his recent passing. The cover— which she likes to call “Everlove”— has accumulated over 21 million views on YouTube, and she quickly had the crowd mesmerized as she put her own twist on the tunes. She then closed out her set with an original song, “Man Invisible,” and excitedly invited fans to say hi at the merch booth after the show.

Photo Gallery by Reid Schaefer