After giving Los Angeles a small dose of her newest album a month before its release at The Echo in June, the indomitable Meg Myers returned to her new hometown Wednesday night with a headline show at the El Rey Theatre.
Meg Myers released Take Me To The Disco back in July to critical acclaim — a record she had completed while still with Atlantic before switching to indie label 300 Entertainment. The El Rey show concluded her tour that began in mid-September at the Observatory in Santa Ana (though she still has some make-up shows scheduled for later this month from an illness early in the tour).
Myers arrived on stage in an extravagant and beautiful outfit, jumping right into “Jealous Sea”, the latest song from the record to get the music video treatment. The song showcases just how much of a powerhouse Myers is vocally — going from deep vocals to high-pitched gasps. It’s also a song that best encapsulates the Nine Inch Nails meets Enya production of her music — something that really sets her apart from the rest of the crowded rock and pop music scene.
The show at The Echo saw Myers seemingly bothered by her sound levels — the El Rey show featured no such issues. On “The Death of Me”, Myers shares vocals with her producer Leggy Langdon on the album version. At the El Rey, Myers did both verses, opting for the deep voice in order to replicate Leggy’s verse.
Myers dipped into her debut full-length Sorry from her Atlantic days, utilizing some sweet dance moves during “Motel” early in the set. Later she performed the title track, one of the more difficult songs vocally.
Meg Myers knows how to write dark and eerie songs like few others these days. The lengths she will go to in order to mine these songs into existence has inspired a fervent fan base. All throughout the show, “We love you!” was shoutout by various people in the crowd. Her music has found a way to connect people needing to navigate darkness, and in songs like “Some People”, find hope [revisit our interview with Meg from July here].
The El Rey crowd got treated to a couple of songs from Take Me To The Disco that weren’t played at The Echo show — “Funeral”, “Little Black Death”, and “Constant”. The latter came during an encore that saw Myers alone with an acoustic guitar, also performing the deeply haunting “The Morning After”.
I’m hopeful that we see Meg Myers on the festival circuit next year. Take Me To The Disco is a fantastic album and one I hope garners support on music outlets’ end-of-year lists. It’ll certainly be on mine.
Words by Mark Ortega
Photos by Justin Higuchi
INTERVIEW: Meg Myers in a good place nearing new album’s release
