half・alive at The Fillmore Auditorium | April 29, 2025
Photos / Juli Yanai (@jbelle.photo)
Being at the Fillmore Auditorium this past Friday was music therapy for the soul. As people trickled into the venue, they were in for a night of sounds, lights, and movement with intentionality. Between the opening artists, mehro (pronounced marrow) and The Walters, followed by the headliner, half alive, there was no room for yawning. Throughout the night, the stage shifted into each artist’s unique performance while maintaining a central theme of introspection and raw emotion.
Kicking off the night, mehro greeted the crowd with a lively performance. Their twenty-five-minute set included a broad range of songs from their discography, which reflected deeply on aspects of their relationship with themself and others. Their performance oscillated between somber, melodic indie pop songs, including “Chance With You,” and more metal-inspired indie rock pieces, such as their latest single, “You’re So Pretty.” Both charming and intense, their steady guidance through the various emotional states presented in their music was a testament to mehro’s multifaceted, ever-evolving nature as an artist. And while most performers would typically just be getting warmed up by the end of their set, mehro and their band left nothing behind as they violently thrashed their heads around. Their performance definitely warranted whiplash allegations, and regular chiropractic care is advised for both the band and audience members.
After the very short and sweet performance by mehro, Chicago-born pop indie band The Walters took to the stage. The band’s performance was a quirky display of banter, beers, and ballads. In a frenzy of denim dungarees and laid-back attitudes, The Walters won the crowd over through a mix of charismatic pull and relatability. Watching the band perform was like sitting at a fireside kickback with friends, and people couldn’t help but laugh and sing along. At one point in the performance, the band even shared that there was a time when The Walters weren’t on speaking terms, until they found out through the grapevine that their hit song, “I Love You So,” had blown up on TikTok. And after experiencing their set at The Fillmore, one can’t help but be glad that in this timeline and universe, the collective was blessed with their reunion.
To end the night, indie pop band half alive (formed in Long Beach, CA) emerged to perform songs from their latest album, Persona, for their Persona World Tour. As an album, Persona is sonically and lyrically dynamic and an intensely genuine work of art. The album doesn’t shy away from bleeding out all the feelings that come with the human experience. The song “Automatic” from the album is an electronic pop banger that encapsulates feelings of chaos, anxiety, and anguish tastefully. Another song, “All My Love (Imperative),” is steeped in lyrics that call out the facade people build their self-worth around instead of allowing themselves to experience genuine intimacy. “Songs”, the second to last song on the album before “Thank You”, is a beautiful piece that asks people to live in a state of gratitude and embrace the fleeting nature of life. Every song from the album cuts as deep as the last, creating a deeply personal listening experience.
Watching the band perform, it was clear that they live up to the authenticity of their music. The entire performance was a fine balance between raw expression and careful curation. Lead vocalist Josh Taylor explored the fragile and frenetic essence of humanity as he sang from the heart, and audience members were left in awe of the musical talent and meticulous choreography throughout the show. At multiple points during the night, people could be heard uttering, “Damn,” and it was difficult for the crowd to contain their joy at feeling so seen and understood by the artistic showcase.
