At Bass Concert Hall in Austin, Rex Orange County presented a compelling exploration of vulnerability and joy, captivating the audience with his emotionally resonant songwriting.
Rex Orange County is an English singer. As a teenager, he taught himself how to produce music and released his debut album, Bcos U Will Never Be Free (2015) on SoundCloud. Over the years that followed, he released a few singles and another album before collaborating with Tyler the Creator on his songs “Foreword” and “Boredom” from his 2017 album Flower Boy. In September, Rex released his latest album, The Alexander Technique. In an interview, Rex Orange County has confessed that “It’s [The Alexander Technique] the most honest and it’s the most vulnerable and it’s what I’ve wanted to make for the longest time.” On his Finally Tour, Rex will only perform at theaters across North America before four shows in London to close off the run.
He opened his show with “Alexander,” the opening track from his most recent album release. During the second song “Therapy,” Rex came down from the stage and walked down the aisle of the theater to sing with fans. A few tracks later, he shouted out a fan in the crowd and played one of the songs she requested earlier that day. Thanks to the fan, we got to hear “One in a Million,” a song Rex doesn’t typically perform at his shows. He played a few throwback songs until he stopped and asked the crowd if he could perform a cover of Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection.” Of course, the audience enthusiastically agreed. The stage was set up stylized as a traditional Japanese washitsu. It featured sliding screens that would open to reveal an LED screen glowing with changing nature scenes. Behind the screens and growing high into the theater ceiling was a giant tree.
Afterward, he performed some of his songs that put him on the map like “Sunflower” and “Best Friend.” Naturally, “Sunflower” called for a sexy saxophone solo from the band’s amazing sax player. At the end of “Best Friend,” he asked the audience to put their phones up so we could all share this moment together. He played a few more songs like “Television/So Far So Good” and “The Table.” During his performance of “New Years,” fake snow fell from the ceiling. When he finished this song, Rex left the stage and only returned after the chants of the audience filled the theater. He returned to the stage and played “4 Seasons” from Apricot Princess and “Pluto Projector” from Pony to finish off the night. The following day, Rex Orange County was to return to Bass Concert Hall for another performance before heading to Los Angeles for an eight-show run at the Orpheum Theatre.
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