Angelenos gathered in Highland Park’s historic Lodge Room on Thursday, March 7, letting loose and singing along to every track by pop-rock artist K. Flay for the second night of the first stop on the tour for her latest and fifth studio album, “Mono.”
The packed room was decorated by the ornamental wood designs and remnants of the former Masonic Lodge, which included paintings of Egypt and a star from the Order of the Eastern Star on the ceiling. In this environment, Flay kept the audience entranced through every track while switching from new, upbeat singles powered by explosive drums and electronic bass to deep cuts with hip-hop influences.
The new album “Mono” is the first released after Flay completely lost hearing in her right ear in 2022. The title refers to mono sound where audio comes from a single channel instead of stereo audio from two channels.
Flay came out on stage with a full boxing outfit, complete with boots, gloves, a robe that had “The Punisher” printed on it, and shorts with custom patches of song titles from the new album such as “Punisher,” “Raw Raw” and “Hustler.” This fighting gear shows Flay’s determination to keep creating art despite experiencing the partial loss of a sense that is so vital to making music.
Flay’s bandmates wore mechanic-like coveralls that had “trainer” written on the name patch. The group kept an electrifying performance throughout the night, even with a piano ballad like “Hustler” that drew the crowd’s emotions into a single controlled state.
This aura of losing yourself and being on the same wavelength as everyone else was a deliberate intention from Flay who between songs would talk about leaving the outside world behind just for a moment so they could completely focus on the show and enjoy the chance of being able to rock out with a group of like-minded people.
After a roaring performance that got the crowd properly warmed up by opener Vienna Vienna, programs were dispersed among the crowd. The program welcomed the audience to “Right Night” where Flay gave a brief overview of her seven years in Los Angeles. She also tells fans that she hopes the show is more than a concert and is instead a “starting point, a source of energy, a push forward.”
The interactive program also included a cipher for audience members to decode, a crossword puzzle, and a K. Flay show checklist. In the pamphlet, there was also a small piece of paper where attendees were encouraged to write something on it from their life that they’d like to get rid of. These papers were dropped off at the end of the show in a collection box where they were burned the next morning on a livestream on Flay’s Instagram.
With the location of the venue, the collecting of the papers, the show costumes and the overall participation from the audience, there was a very ritualistic feel to the concert. However, this was not menacing or eerie and was instead warm, energetic and gave a sense of community.
Flay was successful in making that night more than an average concert by having a gripping stage presence, a fun wardrobe that fit the themes of the album and tour, and engaging with her audience on a more personal level. It was this reporter’s first time listening to her music and instead of just attending the show, I walked away with a sense of letting go and a new beginning.
