LIVE SHOW REVIEW — STRAWBERRY GUY AT THE ROXY
album art for single “What Would I Do?” released 2019
by ava allam
strawberry guy just had his first-ever performance in Los Angeles last monday. if you’re like me, you may know strawberry guy from hearing a few of his songs on youtube and tiktok, but you probably wouldn’t have known that he is a British musician with more than 3 million monthly Spotify listeners and nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram. though his songs have already reached high popularity on social media, he’s just getting started. his music - a mix of indie, classical, alternative, and dream pop - has the power to speak the words that he (and many of us) cannot. it’s a bittersweet, gentle expression of modern existence.
the show began with strawberry guy’s bassist, dan disgrace, who played some of his quirky, electronica tracks as an opening act. the crowd grew expectant after disgrace’s set was finished as (very) dramatic classical music played loudly through the speakers, vibrating through the entire venue. around 9pm, strawberry guy walked out onto the stage, shy and smiling, his ginger hair flowing down to his shoulders. He sat down at the piano, where he stayed for the remainder of the night. he was accompanied by four band members (and friends) - a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a synth player.
STRAWBERRY GUY - live at the roxy , photos by ava allam
in his instagram bio, strawberry guy labels his music as impressionist. you may be wondering… what is impressionism?
impressionism, in its most simple terms, is defined by the oxford dictionary as “a literary or artistic style that seeks to capture a feeling or experience rather than to achieve an accurate depiction.” it started in France as an art movement in the late 1800s, and soon transferred over to music as well. in art, this means giving an extreme focus to the light and color of a scene. in music, it means putting structure and theme second to the mood and atmosphere created by sound. impressionism is known to be largely inspired by nature and emotions, and is not as focused on painting reality as other emotion-oriented movements like romanticism. ** see: claude debussy & erik satie (music) — claude monet & berthe morisot (art)
impressionism is obvious in strawberry guy’s music and in his performance monday night. anyone who has listened to “mrs. magic” can confirm it: a downward glissando followed by magic chords and strawberry guy’s gentle whistle takes you someplace, wherever that may be. “sun outside my window” creates light and the prospect of novelty, and “without you” makes you feel like you just got your heart broken. “what would i do?” which wasn’t played on monday, conveys a lovesick togetherness. in all of his songs, there is a common theme: each note will linger, creating an environment of momentary peace and bittersweet nostalgia no matter where you are.
album art for “Sun Outside My Window,” released 2021
even though he and his music are enchanting, alex stephens, the man behind strawberry guy, can relate to anyone. he’s a guy who writes songs that are so close to his heart they might hurt a little to play (“A White Lie”). he’s one who couldn't believe that he got to perform in Los Angeles. when someone asked if he could take their BeReal, he responded “hell yeah!”. rather than try to rile up the crowd, he calmed us down in order to create an atmosphere of calm and beauty in the crowded, somewhat stuffy, and energetic theater. the audience may have distracted him easily, but it only proved that he was trying to have a genuine conversation with us. he made us feel loved because that’s who he is.
