I enjoyed attending the second Boston stop on Rex Orange County’s Theater Tour for his new album, The Alexander Technique, so this is my performance review! For context, this is Rex Orange County’s first performance in Boston since 2022 during his Who Cares? Tour. I will go through different aspects of the performance, like atmosphere and set design, and then give my overall review.
Set List
I have mixed feelings about the setlist from this performance. There was an okay mix of old and new songs off the latest album, The Alexander Technique, but I wish it were longer. The selections of the latest album were excellent; there wasn’t a single song from the album that I wanted to hear but wasn’t played. However, the choices of older songs were a tad disappointing. He played classics like “Best Friend” and “Sunflower”, he even surprised the audience with “Belly,” a throwback song from his first album, Bcos U Will Never B Free. While all of those songs were great, there needed to be more representation from his middle three — and most popular, in my opinion — albums. He played two songs from each album: Who Cares?, Apricot Princess, and Pony.
From what I understood in the crowd’s vibe, those songs from the older part of the discography were what people came to hear. Another thing to note is that the original release of the ticket sales happened before the new album even came out, furthering the point that people came to hear the songs they really know and love. The set list could’ve been better, but it wasn’t entirely disappointing.
Set Design
The set design was by far the most exciting thing about this tour. Not only was it a theater tour, but every stop/performance of the tour was in a theater rather than a regular venue, and the actual stage design was unique. The placement of each instrument player on the stage was exciting, and the way the backdrop shifted was super innovative. It would start with the classic paneled background and open up to the view of a pond; tree structures would come down from the ceiling and go back, and snow would even start falling at one point. The transitions between the different sets allowed the audience to stay engaged and intrigued and helped to represent the song’s mood.
My one issue was during the performance of “Therapy” because it seemed as though Rex was moving through the crowd or performing from the back, but the balcony view (where I was) was not susceptible to this because we couldn’t see what was going on for the entire song. It ruined the excitement, as it was the second song performed, and I felt that it brought the energy down. Other than that, though, the set design was incredible.
Atmosphere and crowd
Crowd atmosphere and energy are what makes a show good. If the crowd and the artist can’t vibe together, the memorable experience that concerts and live music bring isn’t there. Some of those aspects fell flat with this tour for me. Firstly, its theater-ness changed the vibe significantly. There needed to be more room to jump around and dance but there was no accurate GA floor section. People just piled up at the front of the stage if they were in the front sections. I like concerts better when there’s more community experience; you don’t get that with this venue.
The highlights of the performance were definitely during older songs, which goes back to my point from the setlist. The vibe and energy were completely down during the songs from the new album. Besides the first couple performed at the beginning, most people around me didn’t know the latest songs and just sat around until the ones they knew came back on. You can only please some, and there will be people who don’t know every song on the set list, but it wouldn’t have been so apparent if there were more popular songs on the setlist. Popular songs are popular for a reason! People like them and want to hear them. During songs like “Best Friend” and “Amazing” from the encore, the atmosphere was 10 times better. Vibes were up at the beginning and the end, which created a good bookend, but I wish there was more energy in the middle of the set.
Overall comments
My main gripes revolved around the need for more popular songs on the setlist. I’ve been listening to Rex Orange County since 2018, so it’s not like I don’t know my fair share of the discography; I was just disappointed in the lack of songs that generally have positive feelings associated with them. I was also at the Boston show he did in 2022, and I don’t remember having this strong opinion on the setlist! Even though I made my complaints very well known, I enjoyed the show. Yes, there were lows, but the highs were so high they made up for it. I hope he goes on tour again soon (possibly at a better venue) because I will try my best to be there!
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