Review: The Last Dinner Party Creates a Night of Glorious Fun in LA
☆ BY Faith Luevanos ☆
HEAVEN ON EARTH WAS FOUND AT THE FONDA THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES — all thanks to baroque rock stars The Last Dinner Party. The ethereal band perfectly created an evening comparable to a religious experience for all who attended to commemorate the last night of their world tour, which began in Glasgow and concluded in Los Angeles. Each song of theirs is beautifully crafted, perfectly laced with poise and elegance mixed with grit and gallantry. With sold-out shows throughout the tour, fans were eager to hear the magic of the band’s music outside of their headphones.
The band, composed of Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar), Georgia Davies (bass), and Aurora Nishevci (keys), come together in an exquisite way to provide the show of a lifetime. Apart from their obvious talent, their sense of style is another way they’re able to express themselves on stage. Even with varying styles, they all tie together into one singular unit.
From seeing them for the first time at a festival to attending their own headline performance, the band has consistently been able to own their stage and create a bubble that makes you feel like each song is meant for you, even while being surrounded by hundreds of people. Behind each song is an immense amount of power and raw emotion, which is sure to captivate everyone who listens, and that was proven true at The Fonda Theatre.
As the lights dimmed and their prelude began to play, the crowd let out a loud cheer, followed by breaths being held as fans anticipated the night ahead of them. Each member began to take their places on stage as whispers began of what song they were going to start the evening with. The beginning notes of “Burn Alive” rang out, the crowd erupted into cheers, and so the dinner party began.
The best way I can think of to describe the band and their stage presence is an absolute powerhouse, but even then it seems to be an understatement. The band continued with their hard-hitters, “Caesar on a TV Screen” and “The Feminine Urge.” There was so much movement from the band on stage, which was much appreciated and respected, as it can be hard to move so swiftly while playing an instrument. Members twirled and spun around the stage so elegantly, leaving a vivid picture in my head of people dancing in a ballroom scene.
Shortly after, the music began to slow as the opening notes to the band’s poetic ballad, “Beautiful Boy,” struck. The crowd was absolutely in awe of Morris and how quickly she fluctuated through an entire spectrum of emotions while singing one singular song. Everyone in the venue, from the floor to the balcony, was singing each song word for word, creating a beautiful community of people brought together by music.
As the evening progressed, fans were able to contribute their part to the performance as the band started to play “Portrait of a Dead Girl.” Fans were encouraged to chant powerful lyrics, “Give me the strength,” and everyone was quick to join in, completely under the band’s spell. Even fans in the lobby of the venue were singing along! It was truly a beautiful moment.
After seeing the band’s opener, King Isis, perform a cover by a pop legend, the band mentioned that they felt it would be fun to perform a cover of their own as well. Quickly before their set, they were able to create an iconic cover of Sparks song, “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us.” This cover fit perfectly for the band, almost as if it were from their own discography. It was operatic and an incredible addition to their setlist.
The evening began to come to a close, but not before Morris told the crowd that there were still some words that needed to be said. At first, the crowd believed that the band was about to go into their final song, but something even sweeter happened. The band brought out a couple who had “won a lottery via X” (Twitter) and gave the mic to one of the lucky fans they had brought up. That fan took the opportunity to propose to their partner in front of hundreds of adoring fans while the crowd erupted into cheers and congratulations for the newly engaged couple. After speaking with Nishevci after the show, I was told that the fan who proposed had secretly been planning this with the band weeks prior to make their engagement one they would be talking about forever. Long story short: The Last Dinner Party is for lovers.
The band, of course, concluded the evening with the fan-favorite hit “Nothing Matters.” Fans jumped, danced, and sang along to show their gratitude to the band for performing and for simply existing. It truly was an unforgettable show, one that I could watch over and over again and still never face boredom. If you ever get the opportunity to see the band live, take it.
