I Went To See Olivia O'Brien So You Didn’t Have To

I felt a certain energy walking into Webster Hall Sunday night. The vibrant blue light spilled over the crowd making everyone appear luminescent. The theatrical smoke invaded the stage to where you almost couldn’t see anything but a white electric guitar. Everyone in the room was anxiously waiting to see Olivia O’Brien.

For those who don’t know her, Olivia O’Brien is a 21-year-old pop star that broke out in 2016 for her collaboration with Gnash on their hit single, “I Hate You, I Love You.” She now has one album, Was it Even Real?, and four EP’s, Episodes: Season 1, Maybe We Would Be In Love Right Now, Hope That It Was Worth It, and It’s Not That Deep.

Though the crowd was ready to sing their hearts out to some of O’Briens hits, there were two opening acts. The first artist to take the stage was dumraq, and he stepped on stage ready to party. I had never listened to his music before, but was able to vibe along with the rest of the crowd. His lyrics covered topics such as self-love, identity, and romance. How befitting for an Olivia O’Brien concert? He even sang his single featuring Olivia, “Claim.”

The next artist up was Upsahl. Though I had never listened to her prior to the night, I am now her biggest fan. Her energy radiated throughout Webster Hall, with everyone bobbing their heads along to her rock and roll sound and witty lyrics capable of making an entire crowd feel like they were still mad at their ex. Many of her tunes are off of her new album, Lady Jesus. Personally, my favorite song by her was “Douchebag,” for obvious reasons. All I have to say after her performance is A-woman!

Once the curtains dropped revealing a large “Oliva O’Brien” sign, I knew that it was go time. She came out with a huge smile on her face; she was just as excited to see us as we were to see her. The room was lit up with grins and “I love you’s” were being screamed in the direction of the stage. It was one of those moments when you realize you’re alive.

In the spirit of being alive, she opened up with “We’re All Gonna Die.” This was the perfect opening number to make the crowd let loose. Olivia reminds us that everything we are going through right now doesn't matter as much as we think. Her sarcastic tone reflects the message the song is trying to deliver. “Who cares anyway? We’re all gonna die,” she sings. You could feel the tension in the room dissipate as everyone’s hands stretched to the ceiling. In this moment the whole venue adapted to the mindset of not caring.

Next up was “Tequilawine” which was very nostalgic for me. I remember going to my first music festival at sixteen years old and taking a chance on a new artist: Olivia O’Brien. This is the song that hooked me. This song is all about suppressing your feelings for someone because they did not turn out the way you expected. It isn’t always easy to stop liking someone overnight. The lyrics “Don’t wanna let you know I want you that’s just too appealing for ya" speak to the pressures of “casual dating” in today’s society. Judging by the scream-singing of the crowd, it’s safe to say this song is pretty relatable.

“Keep It Movin’” reflected the pace of the night. The crowd grew eager for more songs to solve all of our own problems, and suddenly, we all got mad at our exes (imaginary or not). This tune is the perfect revenge song. It is all about self-love and moving on from someone that did not realize your worth. “I’ma show you what you losin’, I’ma keep it movin’” Oliva sang as the audience was definitely movin’ to the flirty beat.

One of my personal favorites “F*** Feelings” was up next. I mean, can you blame me? I think we all have caught feelings for someone we really didn’t want to. Olivia and the entire audience stuck our middle fingers up to the sky simultaneously, which was honestly great for my mental health. As she sang, “F*** feeling how I do when I’m feeling it for you,” we all had that someone on our minds. Knowing that we were all in the same boat—Olivia included—amplified the energy of the room.

Winding down a bit, Olivia began singing “Almost In Love." This somber tune is all about falling for someone that does not fit your needs. You were so close to having everything, but it just did not work out and then you are left with “what if’s.” Passion filled up Webster Hall as she sang the line “Tell me that you like me but it’s not enough, almost in love.” Olivia, I love you but this one hit a bit too close to home.

Keeping the “sad girl” vibes, the next song in the set was “Just Friends.” Olivia told the crowd “You signed up for sad songs when you bought tickets to my show.” In response, the crowd shrieked with excitement and anticipation for this beautifully heartbreaking number. This song is about a “friends with benefits” situation. The pair do not want to fall in love because that becomes messy, so they remain “just friends.” Reflecting the sound of a lullaby, Olivia expresses “I just like having you around, but I don’t want to be held down” in this song.

Turning things up a notch, “Sociopath” was up next. This rock and roll beat had the crowd jumping up and down. As Olivia described, this is all about the patriarchy being truly terrifying. “Maybe you’re wired like that (5x), a cold-blooded sociopath” she sang, and the audience screamed. This was the perfect song to restore the energy of the room.

From her first EP, It’s Not That Deep, “Empty” was the next song of the night. In my opinion, this is one of her most relatable songs. The pressures of dating, academics, and simply living in today’s society can leave you feeling empty. Fists balled and flew up to the ceiling as she sang, “And I don’t want to live but I’m too scared to die. Yeah, I’m empty inside, I just don’t feel alive.” Though the song was all about emptiness, I was filled with so much emotion.

“We Lied To Eachother,” yet another one of my favorite songs, began playing and the crowd started to sway. This song is about wanting someone that does not want you back. Olivia also expresses that she has a hard time letting people in—me too girl. The lyrics “I lied when I said I don’t care, and you lied when you told me you did” instantly healed the entire audience at once.

By now we know that Olivia’s songs are extremely relatable, so when “Sad Songs In The Summer” came on, everyone was prepared to scream. Have you ever heard a song or seen something that reminds you of someone? “Now I gotta cover all my favorite tattoos because they remind me of you” Olivia sang, full of passion and a bit of pain. This one had the audience filling up Webster Hall with hand hearts.

This next track was absolutely iconic. Olivia sang a studio-recorded cover of “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne which induced a ton of nostalgia. Rather than keeping Avril’s punky beat, Olivia took a more sorrowful route. This song is about someone changing who they are around a certain crowd. The voices of everyone in the venue sang “I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else gets me frustrated” all together, which resulted in a beautiful moment.

Have you ever tried so hard to look, feel, or act a certain way? If you have, the next song of the night, “Love Myself” is perfect for you. In this song, Olivia reminds us how important self-love and forgiveness are. It is something that everyone in the crowd resonated with. As Olivia sang, “I don’t need to know who I am yet, I don’t need to have a solid plan yet,” the feeling of letting go radiated through the room.

In the spirit of change, Olivia regressed a bit in the next track, “RIP.” In her other tunes, she encourages change and becoming a better version of yourself. However, this song is about a lover changing who they are, but for the worse. This is one of her more popular songs, so when it came on, the audience was prepared to scream. Simultaneously, Olivia and the rest of us sang “RIP to the old you, I miss the old you. It’s like you’re dead to me now,” but we all had a different person on our minds.

Keeping up the energy, the next song that came on was “NOW.” This is one of her more recently released songs, but the whole crowd still knew it. “NOW” is all about realizing that your partner is not good enough for you. Though this tune is very upbeat, the lyrics are a bit spiteful. “We had so much potential until I started seeing all the things you lack” Olivia sang with a sarcastic, flirty tone.

For the next song, Olivia had a surprise for the audience. When she announced she was singing her unreleased song, “Bitch Back,” the room filled with both excitement and anticipation. This fun pop song is all about embracing your bestie. As she sang “I got my b**** back and she bad,” we all clung to our concert buddies, filling up Webster Hall with nothing but love.

After hearing all this incredible music, the whole audience was wondering, “What Happens Now?,” which happens to be the title of the next track off of her most recent EP, Episodes: Season One. Have you ever moved on from a situation and were left feeling curious about what the future may entail? Olivia expresses this as she sang, “I’m not even thinking of you, just woke up one day and you weren’t on my mind.”

Things took a turn when Olivia said she was going to cover “the best pop song of all time” in her opinion. The music started and the audience shrieked when realizing she was going to sing “Your Love Is My Drug” by Kesha. Olivia is notorious for her breakup songs, but this cover was all about being in love. Everyone in the venue indulged in this moment, Olivia included. I bet you they could hear “I’m all strung out my heart is fried” throughout the entire village.

Getting close to the end of the show, the next track in the show was “No More Friends.” This song is about not wanting to stay friends after a breakup. I feel that the anxiety of staying friends with an ex is something that is rarely talked about, but Olivia addresses it so well. She sings, “‘Cause if we ain’t lovers, we got no use for each other.” Judging by the way the audience responded, in that moment you could tell that Olivia felt like she wasn’t alone, because she wasn’t.

The second to last track in the show was her break-out song with Gnash, “I Hate You, I Love You.” This throwback tune was definitely on the more sad side, however, the way that the audience and Olivia connected made it a joyful moment. Everyone’s hands went up and swayed along to the downhearted beat as Olivia sang “I hate that I love you. Don’t want to but I can’t put nobody else above you.”

To conclude the night, Olivia sang arguably her most popular song, “Josslyn.” Jealousy is something that we have all felt and is covered in this spunky tune. Whether it be with relationships or friendships, everyone has been there. There was no better song to conclude the night with and the audience definitely felt the same. With our hearts beating of our chests, the whole crowd jumped as high as we could, singing, screaming, and simply being alive. In the song, Olivia says, “I hope that it was worth it”—well Olivia, seeing you definitely was.

I left Webster Hall Sunday night feeling complete. The way that Olivia is able to connect with her audience through music is something rare. Somehow, she is able to touch the lives of others through her songs and inviting personality. I am eager to see what the future has in store for Miss Olivia O’Brien.

*All images taken by the author