My first time at The Wiltern started out more welcoming than any other venue for multiple reasons. The primary being I got away with a $20 parking spot (a luxury usually priced at $40 at any other venue). Furthermore, the fact that the fan demographic seemed to be “Generally Wholesome Individuals”. Patrons of Lawrence’s “Welcome to the Family Business” ranged young and old, hip and square. And everyone had a smile the entire time. Having never seen Lawrence live, a crowd this diversely happy to be attending, I figured, this is probably a decent band. Lawrence is so astronomically beyond decent. Their vocals, live band and stage presence made them so enjoyable for me— and I didn’t know a single song!
Lawrence is composed of siblings Clyde (keyboard) and Gracie (vocals) Lawrence, born and raised in New York. Their energy towards each other is so fun, pure and egoless… I had trouble believing they were really siblings. Behind Clyde and Gracie is a 6-piece band— saxophones, trumpets, a bass, drums, a guitar, bongos and ukuleles litter the stage and EVERYONE plays EVERYTHING. There are moments where Clyde hands off keyboard duties to one of the horn players so he can engage with the audience. Or when the bassist perches behind the drummer and they play simultaneously, one on top of the other.
They open the show with the titular track, “Welcome to the Family Business”. Their set design is perfect— a menial office space, each band member flanked by their accompanying name placard. Clyde explains that the musicians on stage are not just gifted musicians for hire, they are close friends of the siblings since childhood, high school, college…its all so precious you want to be adopted by the Lawrence family too. The interludes between songs were carefully crafted videos produced by the band, introducing themselves, giving the audience a glimpse into tour life. Performances are full light and graphic-fests, every color you could imagine, and yet, made room for a cosy acoustic set which highlighted their brilliant instrumentation. It was intimate and grand at the same time.
They sprinkle in a few songs from other albums (one of which is a VIP fan-chosen track as part of the experience before the show). The crowd favorite album (metered by screams and cheers) was certainly “Hotel TV” their penultimate release from 2021. This is the album that took them to late night talk shows and on tour supporting the Jonas Brothers in 2023. It’s not hard to see why— Lawrence’s blend of earworm pop and contemplative soul puts them in a class of their own, and their stage presence ensures a sure and steady career ahead of them.
Words and photos by Dara Feller
