Photos / Review: LANY and Dagny in Portland, Oregon

Who: Dagny, LANY

Where: Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR

When: November 6, 2017

Nearing the end of what was a long US tour, LANY saved Portland for one of the last dates on the tour. Portland is nicknamed the City of Roses, and it perfectly compliments their aesthetic: the band’s drum head featured a single rose, roses littered the stage floor, a rose is featured on the cover of their debut album, and many of LANY’s merchandise also consists of roses. Their US run featured the Norwegian popstar Dagny, who also received a warm welcome from the Portland audience.

It was Dagny’s first time performing in Portland, and she couldn’t have picked a better crowd, or tour, to debut her music to in this city. Her heavy produced electro-pop sound and powerful voice complimented LANY perfectly, and the crowd was drawn in instantly. Those who have heard of her before and were familiar with her music sang along, while the rest of the crowd danced and moved to the beat of the music. Dagny was all smiles throughout her set, and danced around the stage herself. Her natural charisma and comfort in performing was infective. Near the end of her set, she paused to call out to the crowd, “Porland, do you want to dance with me? Put your hands up” and the entire audience raised and waved their arms immediately. This may as well have been a coheadline tour, as Dagny was expertly able to keep the audience entertained and engaged throughout her set, while they awaited LANY to come out.

Finally, the lights dimmed, and the LA pop trio LANY (featuring vocalist/guitarist Paul Jason Klein, drummer Jake Goss, and bassist/keyboardist Les Priest) walked on stage to a screaming sold out crowd. The primarily female millennial crowd ready to have their hearts melted, and ready to shed tears (as many did) as the band performed their songs of heartbreak, relationships, and love. Last time LANY was in Portland, their set pieces were lost on the way to the city; however they proved over a year ago their music is more than capable of standing on its own. This time, LANY brought with them a visual display that elevated their set to a whole new level. Behind the band stood three large LED monitors that flashed various colors and patterns, pictures of roses, the hurricane flag (for their song Hericane), and the words “I LOVE YOU SO BAD” spelled out for their breakout single “ILYSB”. From the opener, to the set design, and a setlist featuring songs from their earlier EP’s that didn’t make the album cut, it was the perfectly designed tour that blew away the already high expectations of their devoted fanbase.

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Post and photos by Joe Hernandez (@thisisbroseph / Website)

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