Last Friday, half alive gave 18 photographers free reign of their set in Boston, and what a privilege it was to capture every bit of their incredible performance. The group is currently on tour promoting their latest album, Persona, which was released this past fall. The night kicked off with singer songwriter mehro, who let his powerful voice shine through the mostly acoustic set. He was followed by a fun set by indie pop band The Walters – where lead singer Luke Olson made sure that lots of goofy dancing made its way into the set alongside the music. Both acts were a great warmup to half alive, who took the stage shortly after.
half alive’s set began with real life versions of the creatures on the Persona album cover taking the stage for the first of many interpretive dances of the night, which was definitely a unique way to start a performance. They opened with Persona’s title track, and followed up with “Sophie’s House” and “Summerland.” A few songs in, they picked up the pace with “People” and “Bleed It Out,” which also kicked off the dancing we’d see throughout the night.
Perhaps the biggest stars of the show were dancers Casey and Emma. Their interpretive dancing brought the show to another level, and even singer Josh Taylor himself joined in on a lot of the choreography. Around halfway through the set, the duo got their own several minute long interlude of dancing while the band recharged before the acoustic portion of the show. Dancing has always been a core part of half alive’s live performances and music videos, even back in 2021 when I saw them for the first time opening for Twenty One Pilots, and again in 2023 for their headline show. These two dancers are fairly new to the team, but you’d think they had been dancing with the band for years with the performance they gave.
A cover of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver was first up for the acoustic songs, followed by a mashup of “Beige,” “Hot Tea,” and “creature” (a personal favorite). After one more slower song, “Thank You,” the energy picked back up for the remainder of the set. half alive played their unreleased song “Tears in the Rain,” which Taylor had jokingly hinted at earlier in the night as “the one that nobody will sing along to.” A few songs later, Luke Olson from The Walters made a return to the stage to sing the recently released collaboration between the two: “R.I.P.” There was no encore, and the precise choreography returned for the last two songs, half alive’s well-known hits “still feel” and “RUNAWAY.”
The Persona Tour continues across the Midwest and West Coast throughout April before heading to Europe and Australia later this spring and summer. If you’re looking for a show that’s more than just music, half alive is a must-see!
GALLERY: Half Alive at Roadrunner in Boston (April 11, 2025)
