Lauv Concert Review

The line outside Legends Nightclub steadily lengthened from 8 p.m. onward. Excited chatter reflected the increasing excitement and anticipation of Notre Dame students who were kicking off their weekend with the Lauv concert.

Once the crowd had trickled in, it was not long until opener Charlotte Lawrence took the stage. Lawrence opened with “Just The Same.” She also performed “Sleep Talking,” “Psychopath” and “Stole Your Car.”

Lawrence built up the atmosphere and primed the energy level for Lauv’s appearance.

Lauv took his place before the microphone and teased the audience with the opening words of “I Like Me Better” but quickly switched to “Paris” for his opening song. After concluding this smooth single, he gave Notre Dame a shout out to get the crowd going.

From “Paris” he segued into “Comfortable,” a song with a slightly slower pace than “Paris.” He introduced his next song, “There’s No Way” with regret that Julia Michaels, who is featured in the single, could not be there to perform it with him, but his strong vocals and lively energy made up for her absence.

The pace picked up again with his next song “Chasing Fire” during which Lauv held out his mic to hear the lyrics sung back to him. “Reforget” reinforced the feelings introduced in “Chasing Fire” — of separation and isolation despite efforts to maintain a relationship.

Lauv quickened the tempo after “Reforget” with DJ Snake’s track “A Different Way,” on which he was featured. He reintroduces a hope that seemed to be lost in “Reforget,” allowing himself to feel the optimism of a new relationship and a new beginning of love.

Right when the morale had been boosted, Lauv reverted back to loss and sadness with his beautifully tragic tune, “Superhero.” He encouraged his audience to leave notes in his box of “My Blue Thoughts” because “Superhero” was born from a fan's note.

He took the tempo back down after these two songs with “Easy Love,” exuding confidence, coolness and commitment in understanding that romance can be difficult at times. Lauv sang with honest perspective as he revealed his thoughts about what love is made of and what it demands.

“Adrenaline” followed “Easy Love,” stripping away Lauv’s confidence to uncover the basic feelings that underlie the wisdom and knowledge that comes from a long amount of time spent in a relationship: those of going through the motions and uncertainty about the future.

Between this song and the next, Lauv took the time to tell his audience a little bit about himself. After giving his background to explain where his songs come from, he expressed gratitude for how far he had come. He emphasized that he does not take his opportunities in life for granted. This manifested in the way Lauv simply lost himself in the music. He really connected with the audience during each song, whether it be through eye contact or holding someone’s hand.

The climax of the concert arrived with Lauv’s performance of “Breathe.” An epitome of emotion, this song creates a conflict of needing space and longing for love. During this song, Lauv asked the audience to take out their phones for the classic concert flashlight moment, which really added sentimentality to the song.

The encore included the full rendition of “I Like Me Better.”

The finale consisted of a return to Lauv’s roots as he introduced the first official song he released, “The Other.” This song set the foundation of Lauv’s genuine persona and raw emotional expression as he talks about the conflict between heart and mind. It felt cathartic for him to come full circle between his happy hit, “I Like Me Better” and his truthful debut, “The Other.”