CONCERT REVIEW: A Divergent Double Header: Eliza McLamb and Zack Fox
By Parker Parent
On a fateful Saturday night I found myself at the Paper Tiger not knowing what to expect, having come here for both shows, which seemed to be polar opposites. With Eliza McLamb in the side room and Zack Fox in the main, there was a clear division between the indie folk audience of McLamb and the party-ready Zack Fox crowd. However, with both having a younger audience demographic and songs known for their TikTok virality, I knew there would be bridges connecting them still.
Even before the doors for Zack Fox opened, the Eliza McLamb show was in full swing, with Mei Semones opening up to a chill vibe that felt very intimate with half the crowd still locked out, listening in from afar. Semones brought an interesting mix of folksy and bossa nova vibes to the room, with live vocals that rivaled the album recording. Alongside a standup bass that brought with it some really unique sounds as a great substitute for a bass guitar. Semones herself got in on the fun with some very groovy guitar riffs. With doors opened and some members of the opposite audience listening in, Eliza McLamb began her show. McLamb brought more grit to this performance than I’d expected, still, seeing that her songs really lean into emotion this wasn’t necessarily surprising. The performance felt very genuine and personal, with the added ambiance of house music vaguely playing in the background, which in my opinion actually enhanced the performance. Making it feel like an intimate side room to a larger party, one you might retreat to for melancholic reflection between high energy house mixes.
This separate, high energy party boasted a stacked line up with 2 of the 3 DJs having performed at a Boiler Room set. DJ lzrcat opened and closed the show, leading with house mixes that left people bobbing their heads and scrunching their faces. I thought he did an especially good job at avoiding lulls in the music. I do find that live DJ sets often suffer from moments of pause where the audience finds themselves just waiting for the next move, this was not the case with lzrcat. Next up was Babiboi, who managed to maintain the energy and even bring up the BPM a bit, including much more “club” music, ultimately leading to more jumping and yelling from the crowd. She properly hyped up the crowd, often addressing them with a live microphone, teeing Zack Fox up for a great set. The crowd got very excited when Zack Fox showed up, unsurprisingly, as an Abbott Elementary staple and internet comedy/DJing phenomenon, he entered with a trapper hat on and good vibes aplenty. His set went on until just past midnight with the energy maintained throughout. I was excited to hear his gospel-focused mixes which always feel fresh and unique. As someone with a big DJ pet peeve, that being DJs who simply transition from song to song without adding anything more. So, let me say that these DJs go well beyond that, they were properly mixing these songs, and doing it well.
Even with two fairly different concert experiences for one night, what brought them together was the high quality of all performances. Any of which I would recommend attending if you get the chance.
Eliza McLamb