Like most of the East Coast right now, Atlanta on Tuesday night was still close to 100 degrees outside at 7 pm. That didn’t stop a huge crowd of people from gathering at Terminal West for Honey Revenge’s Atlanta stop of “The Loving and Losing Tour.”
Honey Revenge, an L.A.-based pop duo, has been making its way across the country on its first headlining tour. Wolf and Bear joined them for the first leg of the tour on the West Coast, and the rest of their tour has featured Daisy Grenade, Vana, and Nightlife. At 6:00 people began pouring into the venue filling the open floor and balcony above, and it wasn’t long before Nightlife took the stage.
Nightlife calls their music “soulpunk” and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but by the end of the opening song I understood the label. Hansel Romero’s smooth-like-butter vocals had the crowd swooning, and the live saxophone added to the soulful vibe. The bass line had a groove that kept it moving, while the guitar lended classic funk. The audience bounced with the band for the entire set, and near the end of the set Romero hopped off stage into the crowd to serenade fans while they all danced together. Nightlife definitely set the tone for the evening, and the crowd was vibrating by the end of their set.
Next up was Vana, a solo artist who made her way to the states all the way from New Zealand. She had the heaviest sound of the evening, and it provided a nice vibe change for the audience. As the lights went down, sirens played through the speakers. Masked musicians wearing all black and carrying guitars walked across stage as the drummer took his throne, and then Vana walked out with an air of confidence usually reserved for headliners. Her metal scream was on point, but it wasn’t her only vocal trick. She slipped between playfully cute to belting with her metal screams mixed in along the way. While the other band members were clearly background characters to Vana’s center stage, it was impossible to ignore their technical skills as they traded solos. For the last song of her set, Vana picked up her own guitar and played with the band to a slower and comparably softer tune. The crowd pulled out their phones and lit up the room with their flashlights as they sang along.
The direct support act of the evening was Daisy Grenade. This NYC-based pop duo is led by singers Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittakker. Their performance was entrancing from beginning to end. They had strong choreography throughout their songs, sometimes matching their moves while other dance steps were more responsive to each other. They ran through all the hits including “Riot”, “Hypocrite”, “How to Hide a Body” and “Are You Scared of Me Yet?” I personally was waiting to hear their new single “Don’t Sweat It” and was not disappointed when the first chorus started and Nigro and Whittakker started their viral dance steps while they sang their nearly acapella harmonies. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to learn the dance before the show, and I wasn’t the only one. A few folks near the front mirrored the girls as they flawlessly performed the steps.
Their voices blended seamlessly as they bounced from one song to the next. They alternated lead lines and often sang in unison on choruses. Their endearing interactions with the audience felt like they were talking to old friends they hadn’t seen in a while. The best part is that they truly looked like two besties having the time of their lives on stage–which in turn fed the audience’s good time.
Finally, it was time for Honey Revenge to take the stage. The lights went down and a track with what sounded like lead singer Devon Papadol’s voice played through the speakers. “What if you had been in the right place at the wrong time? What would be different in your life,” it questioned. The track ended with the line “What if everything has led you to right here, right now, and you are exactly where you are supposed to be?” And with that the lights came up and the band launched into “Risk” as Papadol greeted the crowd.
They played through a couple more of their most popular songs, and then Papadol paused to make a deal with the audience. She explained that as headliners they get to do whatever they want, so in addition to all of their most popular songs they would also be playing some newer songs and some unreleased songs. She also took the opportunity to toss ear plugs to a few people warning the audience to “protect your damn hearing.” Cheers flooded the venue as they launched into an unreleased song called “Jealousy Monster.”
Dropping in a few more well known songs like “Distracted” and “Rerun,” Papadol then slowed it down and talked about the beginning of the band. Lloyd is an Atlanta native (to which shouts of “We love you, Donny!” could be heard across the room) and moved out to L.A. when their dad passed away. When they got settled in their new home, they ended up joining an L.A. band that would later become Honey Revenge. Two years ago, Papadol lost her father as well. This story led to an unreleased acoustic song written by Papadol and Lloyd called “Loving and Losing” that brought tears to my eyes. The song showcased Papadol’s softer, more delicate vocals as Lloyd accompanied her with an intricate acoustic guitar part that complemented the vocal melody perfectly. At the end of the song, the energy of the crowd was much more somber. Lloyd and Papadol got up from their stools as the rest of the band came back on stage. Papadol joked, “But enough of that sad shit, am I right?” The millenial in me felt grateful for a humorous break from the deep emotions in the room.
The band launched into an audience participation song “Habitual” and had an entire room of fans screaming “But you’re a little bitch, you know.” They rolled through one more unreleased song called “Concentrate” and ended the set with some crowd favorites. Their last song of the night was of course “Airhead” and the audience sang every word along with them.
Not only was Papadol a delight to watch with her effortless vocal acrobatics and engaging conversations with the crowd, Lloyd was obviously having a great time on stage. They would make their way to the front of the stage with a big smile to lean over and sing the words along with fans. Their guitar tones often added a Michael Jackson flare to the performance, and the only time they stopped dancing was to tune their guitar. That was the biggest takeaway of the night to me: every band up there looked like they were having the best time with their friends–and that included their fans. The entire night was interactive, each band brought out members from the other bands on stage to perform with them, and all of the musicians made time to individually greet those who had come to see them.
The Loving and Losing Tour only has a few more dates left, so be sure to check if they’ll be in your city. Don’t miss the magic of this show with catchy pop melodies and plenty of femme power.
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The latest Nightlife singles “strangeluv” and “i/o” are streaming everywhere, and don’t miss their music video for “strangeluv”
IG: @nightlife_xo
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Vana’s latest single “PLEASER” is available everywhere, along with a stellar music video that will not disappoint.
IG: vana_nz
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Daisy Grenade’s latest single “Don’t Sweat It” is available everywhere
IG: @daisygrenade
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Honey Revenge’s latest single “Risk” is available everywhere. Catch them in September playing Riot Fest in Chicago.
IG: @honeyrevengeca
