On Oct. 10, indie singer-songwriter Gigi Perez performed at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn. Although she had performed at the venue before, the success of her recent single, “Sailor Song,” the 24-year-old — racking up over 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify — prompted her return to headline the venue.
Perez’s opener, “Picture Show,” did a great job riling up the crowd in anticipation for the main act. In Perez’s dramatic entrance, she burst onto the stage from a side door, greeted by cheers from the audience. Amid the excitement, someone in the audience shouted, “Lesbians love you!” She quickly responded, “And I love lesbians!”
Perez kicked off her set with the song “When She Smiles,” a well-loved classic from her album “How To Catch A Falling Knife.” As she strummed her acoustic guitar, the crowd immediately quieted to hear her soft, mesmerizing voice. Perez closed her eyes as she played, and the purple and pink lights behind her enhanced the themes of love, romance and heartbreak found in much of her music.
She then transitioned into “Please Be Rude,” a song that revolves around loving someone so deeply that you’re willing to let them hurt you or “be rude” to you over and over again. She performed lyrics like “And if I tell you something rude / Drain me out, and please, be rude.” They encapsulate the feeling of loving the way someone else can hurt another –– because, in a way, it shows that they care enough to. Perez strummed her guitar beside her drummer and piano player, singing directly to the crowd as they played, creating an intimate atmosphere.
The venue’s lights turned a purplish-blue as Perez began to sing “Sometimes (Backwood),” a 2021 fan favorite. It originally stemmed from her song “Celene,” which was dedicated to her older sister who passed away in 2020. Before performing it, Perez spoke about her late sister, specifically about the love that they shared for music with fondness and deep sadness. This sentiment flowed from her memories into her performance of “Sometimes (Backwood). “I know you’ve seen a lot of things,” Perez sang, “That’s why we get along so well.”
Her last and most popular song, “Sailor Song,” is about being infatuated with a girl and what it means to walk the line between love and hate for that person. As the song began, the room turned a deep sea blue, alluding to the single’s album cover: A doodle depicting three serpentine arms surrounding a boat, one person within and the other in the water. Both the concert and singles’ visuals perfectly represents the essence of tumultuous love and heartbreak — Perez’s music surrounding and consuming the audience whole, similar to a choppy sea.
The lyric, “I don’t believe in God, but I believe that you’re my savior,” was one that the audience knew entirely. Many of Perez’s songs touch on the all-too-well-known struggle between religion, sexuality and love. She touches on the human experience throughout all her music — a variety of themes that resonated with the audience. Despite any listener’s uncertainties around believing in God, Perez’s music serves as everyone’s savior, demonstrating how music can save those of us who feel damned.
The audience truly came to life during “Sailor Song,” and Perez let them take the lead. Shocked, she smiled and strummed her guitar as they sang every word. Just as her music was a savior to them, it was like the audience was to her.
Perez’s songs allow audiences to explore feelings of loss, love and heartbreak. Her music serves as a safe place and a space of healing for all her listeners — she embraces a personal and beautifully valuable connection, one that is carried out across her discography and was made especially evident when performed live.
Contact Julia Smerling at [email protected].
