I can pretty much trace my half•alive obsession back to 2019, when I first came across still feel on a personalized Spotify playlist. Within the first 5 seconds I was hooked to the beat, then I found the music video and discovered the unique dancing of Josh Tyler. The choreography was so weird, precise, and satisfying that I kept watching it over and over, then doing the same thing with arrow. For a while, those were basically the only two half•alive songs I listened to. I had them on repeat constantly, but somehow never bothered to explore much further into the rest of their music.

That changed when Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1 came out. Something about that project finally made me pay attention to the band beyond the two songs I already knew, and I ended up loving the entire thing. Every song from it has made its way onto at least one of my Spotify playlists, which is probably the clearest sign that I was no longer just casually listening. My all time favorite song from that album, which is really hard to choose, is Back Around

The Scene Stealer: mehro

Sometimes the opening act completely steals the show. I walked in solely focused on the headliners, but walked out as a certified fan of mehro. Their track "you're so pretty" became an instant summer soundtrack for me. To make a great set even better, I ran into their drummer right before the main act went on and got to congratulate him on a stellar performance. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of them on my disposable camera as I wanted to preserve the last of my few shots for half•alive.

half•alive: In Motion

Being a fan since 2018, I was really excited to see half•alive perform at The Fillmore. I had listened to their new album, Persona, that came out that fall before. I was a big fan of the track "Sophie's House" and found myself jumping up and down, singing the lyrics with the rest of the crowd, when they finally played it. I’ll admit I didn’t know every word to every song, which felt a little embarrassing at first, especially being surrounded by people who clearly did. But at the same time, it was kind of comforting. There’s something about being in a room where everyone else is so locked in, singing every line without hesitation. It really pulled me into the performance.

I’ve watched their music videos for years, so I knew what to expect visually, but seeing it in person was completely different. Their choreography isn’t just something added on, it’s integral to their sound and performance. It’s precise but still feels natural, and it gives the song a unique structure. The entire set felt like it was constantly moving, even in the quieter moments which made everything flow and feel cohesive from start to finish.

It was a great concert, and I would definitely see half-alive again especially for the choreography but if I’m being honest, I’m still thinking about mehro. and hoping to see them on tour soon.