By: Brenna Mata
The Aces shook the ground at Warehouse Live with bops and break-up anthems from their sophomore release Under My Influence that released last summer. As a mega fan, finally seeing these songs performed live was beyond surreal and a quarantine dream come true. May I also mention that this was the gals’ first headlining show in Houston, after having performed here as an opener for acts like COIN, X Ambassadors, and 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS is the reason I discovered them, thanks 5SOS!).
The show itself had an intimate feeling, a charm that only the 450 capacity Studio at Warehouse Live has. Alisa, Katie, McKenna, and Cristal took the stage right at 10:45PM, following a pre-show playlist including Come Clean by Hilary Duff and 7 Things by Miley Cyrus! Can you say iconic? I could tell instantly that the girls have a new found stage presence than when I saw them the last time in 2019. And it’s a stage presence that is refreshing and most importantly, strong.
The first track off the setlist is none other that the bop that is Can You Do, where everyone in the band gets their shining moments. From McKenna’s heavy bass lines, Cristal’s intense lyrics, Katie’s guitar solo to Alisa’s sick drum patterns, you’ve never seen talent like this badass band. Every song you could hear the room echo from the fans singing along to favorites like Stay and Kelly, myself included. The energy in the room was just unmatched and every Aces show just feels like a safe space for letting yourself be free.
When you see a band that advocates for mental health awareness, LGBTQ+ rights, spreading a message of positivity through music, it makes moments at these shows so special. This is especially true for my favorite off the record, Going Home, which is a mushy love song that gets me every time. It can be about love of course, but I like to hear it as the relationship between The Aces and their fans with lyrics like “Fuck anyone who says they doubt you, I love everything about you.”
Other fan favorites of the night included the dreamy pop bop Daydream that’s stacked with Katie’s immaculate guitar riffs and majestic lyrics, and the heart wrenching Volcanic Love from their first record When My Heart Felt Volcanic where everyone screams at the top of their lungs “Under the ashes, under the ashes, under the ashes, I’m on fire baby, I’m on fire!”
Even though tour just finished last night in Austin, if you didn’t catch the band then now you know not to make that mistake again! I’ll never miss an Aces show ever. And neither should you.
⎯
