---

I am always looking for a concert to attend, whether I buy the ticket last minute or months in advance. Earlier this month, I got the chance to see the second-to-last show of Leanna Firestone’s Becoming Unbecoming tour in Boston. Leanna’s music is vulnerable, playful, and creative, and I was so excited to see what the show would be like–at the end of a months-long tour no less. Accompanied by Boston native JOBIE and singer-songwriter Brye, I knew that the night would be full of sobs and tears, jokes and laughter, and most importantly, impactful performances.

Stepping into the venue, the Crystal Ballroom, the energy immediately felt warm and welcoming. Leanna’s audience largely consists of young people, similar in age to me, and I felt like I would be friends with everyone there. I met up with a friend I have gone to a few concerts with, and someone she had met at a previous concert ended up being there too. We got some water, checked out the merch booth, and walked around a bit before settling by the stage before the first opener.

JOBIE

brye

The second opener was Brye, an artist who I have been familiar with for years. Having a viral hit in 2020, Brye is now known for songs about body positivity and self love. With indie, pop, rock, and folk influences and similar fanbases, Brye felt like a perfect choice to open for Leanna Firestone. There were technical issues with Brye’s guitar at the beginning, but she gracefully continued to play, as the show must go on. Starting with songs from her debut album, RECOVER, I felt myself loving the songs even more having heard them live. Almost all of her songs are self-produced, and she had backing tracks accompanying her, bringing more to my usual singer-songwriter opener expectation of just an artist and their guitar. When performing “NOTHING!,” she taught the crowd an interactive chant for the bridge, and it felt as if everyone in the venue participated. At the end of her set, she performed collaboration with Tessa Violet, “My Body’s My Buddy,” a song I adore and have written about before. I saw Tessa perform the song earlier this year, so getting to see both artists perform it separately felt like a full circle moment.

Leanna Firestone

JOBIE and Brye had perfectly set the tone for Leanna Firestone, and the venue was buzzing with excitement for her to come on. She ran onstage wearing an orange western-esque corset dress with a white feather boa and matching cowboy hat (though they were quickly taken off so she could dance). Starting with upbeat songs like “COOL!” and “Foreverever,” the energy was enthusiastic and lively. Everybody was singing and dancing along, with Leanna often not singing and instead, pointing the microphone at the audience.

A few songs in, Leanna moved to the piano and the vibe began to shift. She said that this was the part of the set where, “people would cry and theater kids would start singing with their hands,” a statement that did hit hard for a lot of us. She then performed “Two Week Notice,” “Burnt Out,” and “ESOEMOEHOED,” three very emotional songs that I absolutely adore. This part of the set was extremely special; the songs just being her, the piano, and the audience singing the words back very loudly. Emotions were high, tears were shed, and yes, people were acting out the lyrics with their hands. It is moments like those when you realize how much music means to people.

The band came back on stage, and the positive energy started to kick back in. Leanna said she was going to perform an unreleased song and needed the crowd’s help. “Keeping Score,” which just released on December 13th, was not out at the time. She taught the crowd the repeating part in the bridge, making sure to repeat it a few times as people got confused. A joke was made that since people there went to MIT, they would be smart enough to catch on.

“I love you, I love you not not

I love you so, so what what?

I love you, I love you not, not, not, not, not, not

I know the end is coming (I love you, I love you not not)

You know I’m up to something (I love you so, so what what?)

I’ve gotta lay my weapons down (I love you, I love you not, not, not, not, not, not)

The last song on the regular setlist was “Strawberry Mentos,” the first song Leanna ever released and a fan favorite. Bringing an acoustic guitar on-stage to go back to her acoustic roots, it was special to have everyone sing along in an almost sold-out venue. Leanna and her band left the stage and then came back for the encore, singing three songs. She talked about how the band had gotten tattoos earlier in the day, her guitarist and drummer both getting butterflies to match her. This was a sweet segue into “vulnerable,” a fan-favorite with the lyric “Butterflies are never a good sign / But I have one tattooed on the inside of my arm.” The show ended with hit “Smitten,” a sweet closer to finish an amazing night of music.

After the band took their final bows, I reflected on the highly enjoyable night I had just had. The post-show playlist consisted of songs by Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Chappell Roan, which was a perfect way to end the night. Overall, I had a great time, as I usually do at shows, and would definitely see Leanna again, along with Brye and JOBIE.

You can listen to Leanna Firestone below, including new song “Keeping Score”