Free at Noon Flashback: Philly indie hero Alex G. ends 2015 on a high note

Alex G | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo | racheldelsordophotography.com

Alex G. is someone that we here at The Key have been keeping a keen eye on for a while now. The release of his first proper label album Beach Music this year marked his first step into the world of being a nationally-recognized indie rock singer-songwriter. But the Havertown native is a testament to how the internet age has transformed the way in which a musician can break: his eleven previous albums and EPs were released directly to Bandcamp.

His time kicking around the Temple DIY scene garnered him significant attention and made him a comfortable and skilled live performer, which he showed off Friday afternoon at World Cafe Live. The upstairs venue was packed to gills with an excited audience, one that skewed young, with many in attendance the same age as the performers. Alex G and co. pulled mostly from his newest album but also played some songs off of 2014’s DSU and 2015’s Trick. 

One of the characteristics of much of Alex G’s catalog is the impressive production which often features double tracking and vocal distortion — all of which is handled mostly by Alex himself. For this afternoon’s show, though, Alex and the band stripped some of the tracks down to a more straightforward sound, removing some of the studio tricks and getting to the heart of the records. They also took some opportunities to expand upon the songs, adding longer breakdown’s featuring soaring and often fuzzed-out guitar riffs.

After the New Year, Alex and his band will be heading to Europe before returning to the Philly area in Spring for a show at Union Transfer on April 14. For tickets or more information on that show visit the XPN Concert calendar.

Hear Alex G’s Free At Noon Performance

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Setlist
Kicker
Bug
Walk
Harvey
Forever
Rules
In Love
Salt