Mar 18

Mar 18 Show Review: Yungblud Brings Perfect Performance to Sacramento

Yungblud
w/ UPSAHL, poutyface
Ace of Spades
Sacramento, CA
March 15th, 2022

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

I’ve seen a lot of rock shows recently, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a newer act showcase “rock star” potential. What I mean by that is someone who carries that charisma, the musical capability, and the attitude of the rockstars that our parents grew up with. I’m not saying that Yungblud’s music reminds of the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, but I would be remiss in my duties as a writer if I didn’t note that watching Yungblud’s performance at Ace of Spades on Tuesday felt like watching a modern day Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler command the room. This was by far one of the best shows I’ve seen all year. I’ve only ever listened to a handful of Yungblud songs since he came onto the scene a few years ago, but I left with far more inclination to learn more about his work.

Yungblud’s tour was kicked off by two great opening acts, the first being poutyface, a new addition to the rising alt-indie scene that is permeating the rock world. With a set of only about 30 minutes, she did a great job warming up the room and engaging with the excited crowd. Her set was followed by Upsahl, a singer-songwriter who switched between bass, guitar, and vocals throughout a laidback yet energetic opening performance that was well received by all in attendance.

But any kind of bar that was set by these openers in terms of energy, performance style, and attitude was raised about ten notches when Yungblud’s performance began.With a headlining set that was barely an hour long, I was left wanting so much more. From the second he stepped on the stage and became visible, the crowd erupted with excitement. Yungblud (real name Dominic Harrison) dove headfirst into a track called “strawberry lipstick”, from his most recent album titled weird! A majority of songs came from that album, but a number of others like “I Love You, Will You Marry Me” and “Kill Somebody” came from his first record, 21st Century Liability. A highlight moment came during the performance of his newest song, “The Funeral”, a song that is undeniably catchy and shows Harrison at his finest as a performer, mixing melancholic lyrics with 80s-inspired melodies and beats.

This show genuinely made me happy. I felt like I was watching something special. Never have I seen someone take to a stage for over an hour and look so goddamn happy, truly not taking a single moment up there for granted. I know that I’m getting older. I know that there’s going to be a point where a newer selection of music from this genre starts to not connect with me. But if Yungblud is indeed one of the faces of the next phase of this scene, then I know that this next generation is in good hands.

Yungblud Set List
strawberry lipstick
parents
superdeadfriends
I Love You, Will You Marry Me
The Funeral
Life on Mars (Interlude)
mars
weird!
fleabag
Loner
Kill Somebody
I Think I’m OKAY

Encore
god save me, but don’t drown me out
Machine Gun (Fuck The NRA)