Concerts have always been a spiritual experience for me, and Mehro’s Weirdthrob tour concert is no different. Starring Mehro, with opener Evie Irie and unofficial opener Charlie Barstow, their mix of symbolic lyrics and alternative melodies led to this concert being a key memory in my September.
It was still bright out when Harper, my plus-one, and I pulled up to the House of Blues. We arrived right on time, but didn’t walk in until 30 minutes later. Coming for event coverage through Radio UTD, it was my first time having physical tickets for a concert. What a cool souvenir! Strapped with nothing but my DSLR camera and photo pass, the doors opened and we walked into the venue.
Everywhere reputable that had information on the Weirdthrob tour said that Evie Irie was opening and Mehro was headliner. My expectations were subverted when the first musician on stage was neither Evie Irie nor Mehro, but Charlie Barstow. What a pleasant surprise! Charlie’s vocals fell smoothly over his guitar playing, combining to produce a country-esque style mixed with alternative music standards. Charlie does not have any official music released as of date, but directed us to follow him on Instagram (@charliebarstow) and promised we could look forward to official releases soon.
Following Charlie was Evie Irie, the official start to the concert. Having listened to some of her music beforehand in order to familiarize myself, nothing could have prepared me for her presence on stage. Evie Irie is as much a singer-songwriter as she is a performer. She amazed the audience with her vocals and stunned us with her performance. One moment that stood out to me in particular was when she played her hit single “Laila.” As she sang, the spotlight reflected off of her guitar and shone out into the crowd, dazzling us.
Lastly, Mehro came onto the stage to a roaring applause. He immediately began playing and the audience fell silent as we all swayed to the melody. His symbolic lyricism and grungy voice created an undeniable air of excitement. Towards the end, he went backstage, and reappeared in a new outfit, in which he played the last few songs of the set.
Thank goodness it was dark by the time we got outside. Otherwise, the incredible experience that was the Weirdthrob tour concert plus the bright setting sun would’ve been too overwhelming at that moment. Harper and I talked while waiting for our Uber, and he was thrilled Mehro played all three songs he had hoped for, “Lady Parts and Mannequins,” “exploding,” and “like you’re god.” I was happy that Evie Irie opened for him and led me to discover her music.
In summary, from Charlie’s smooth vocals, to Evie’s ethereal stage presence, to Mehro’s exciting atmosphere, this concert was one for the books.
