Leith Ross, one with the purest of voices, and their incredible five piece band illuminated the stage at the Lodge Room in Highland Park last night. Ross began their set promptly at 9:30pm and immediately drew in the audience by starting off with the mesmerizing instrumental from their song titled “5am” from their newly released album “To Learn”. The thing I admire about Ross’s work is their ability to effortlessly flow each song into one another while continuously keeping the audience fully engaged. This was the first show I had been to in a long time where nearly no one had their phone out the entire time, everyone was truly just enjoying the music. It was quite refreshing.
Leith Ross rose to fame in the summer of 2021 on TikTok with their song “We’ll Never Have Sex” and has since then had over 47 million listens on Spotify. This was also apparent during the show, with all of the audience joining together to loudly sing this tune with Ross as the encore. There was a star-studded audience in attendance to last night’s show, with musician Adam Melchor standing a few rows back from the stage. Also in attendance was up and coming singer songwriter Ella Jane, as well as Charlie Hickey, signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records.
Ross played a lengthy hour and a half set, but with music like theirs, it felt as though it went by far too quickly. Some standouts and my personal favorites of the night included “Music Box”, “Monogamy”, and “Ask First”, as well as an unreleased song “Clouds” by band member Anna Abondolo. Ross has some truly gut wrenching lyrics that you could tell were collectively felt by the audience, with some audible cries from fans in between songs. While Ross has some incredible lyrics, they also have a nearly perfect voice and tone to match that. They sound exactly the same as their recordings, and that’s something that a lot of artists strive for during live shows. This show would not have been as magical as it was without their band. Each member brings such a unique sound and voice to these complex songs, but it all meshes together and translates so smoothly to the audience.
Leith Ross continues touring the states and Canada through June, before kicking off their Europe and UK Tour this October. If you’re yearning to find a connection to music and experience something truly special, Leith Ross is not one to miss.
Words and photos by Paige Good
