AVIV, bursting with teenage Toronto edge, shook the crowd to its core at the Teragram Ballroom yielding a reaction of bewilderment spiked with adrenaline that could only be compared to a force of nature. Wednesday, June 7 – AVIV takes the stage for her very first Los Angeles show, sure to be remembered as a moment in music history, and combines her head banging, No Doubt resemblant charisma with the corporeal grit of human experience.
Possessing her audience with a vocal dynamism wise beyond her years, I watched her electrically soft pop closer “Celebrate” receive a standing ovation only to be countered by an even more impressive finish. The sky is open-ended for this performer who pokes holes in the heavens on her saccharine, acoustic solo takes (“Jimmy’s House”) and ignites a ferocious hellfire on her punk-fused cherry bombs (“You Feel Like Depression”).
How does AVIV remain a beacon of authenticity despite her young, explorative age and her tendency to jump genres? Because she knows exactly who she is and embraces the experimental process as an intrinsic part of herself and humanity alike. On the moments between tracks, AVIV made us feel like we were all there together; in a basement in Toronto making music and discovering the genesis of something sublime.
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