Pictured above: On Feb. 14, Rex Orange County danced and sang with a crowd of 20-somethings at House of Blues.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”5″ display=”basic_imagebrowser”]Story and photo by Thomas Iacobucci
A crowd of 20-somethings gathered in the small, standing room only venue at the House of Blues Orlando on Feb. 14.
Bordering adolescence and on the impending edge of adulthood, the crowd stood shoulder-to-shoulder in anticipation of the show’s beginning.
No older than the hundreds in the crowd he was playing for, Alex O’Connor — more commonly known as Rex Orange County — walked out on stage to a flurry of screams.
Born in Hampshire, England, in 1998, O’Connor burst into the indie-pop movement at the age of 16, uploading self-produced tracks to SoundCloud and gaining recognition from fans across the world, eventually landing a feature on Tyler, The Creator’s 2017 album “Flower Boy.”
O’Connor’s latest album, “Pony,” sees a natural progression in the artist’s musical career. From his self-produced 2015 debut album, “Bcos U Will Never B Free,” to the acclaimed 2017 “Apricot Princess,” O’Connor employs the same angsty alternative sound that was present in his first two albums, further incorporating a medley of bedroom-style pop, indie, hip-hop and jazz.
With the release of “Pony” in October 2019, O’Connor further solidified himself within the indie/alternative scene, showcasing his creative, youthful sound, filled with catchy riffs contrasted by melancholy ballads on the 10-track album.
O’Connor’s inherent ability to convey empathy and emotion has transcended his still-blossoming, yet popular career — making his Valentine’s Day set that much more intimate.
On a stage lined with green turf and sunflowers, standing no higher than 5 feet against a backdrop of fake blue sky with three-dimensional clouds, O’Connor stood above the sea of fans that traveled across central Florida to see him perform.
Opening the show with “10/10,” the same opening track on his latest album, O’Connor struck into a soulful, piano-clad rendition, reciting the first few lyrics as though he were alone and back in his studio.
With the help of a five-person band, “10/10” quickly transitioned into its original fun, pop-filled indie sound, with O’Connor cavorting across the stage while simultaneously leading the crowd as they sang along.
Keeping the energy from the first song going, O’Connor went to his new arsenal of songs on “Pony,” playing “Laser Lights,” a jazz-inspired song that relies just as heavily on its lyrics as it does on its fluctuating synth beats and its use of brass and woodwind instruments.
Despite mainly sticking to tracks from his latest album, O’Connor did give the concertgoers some of his personal hits from his past two records, such as “Sunflower,” “Loving is Easy,” “Best Friend” and “Corduroy Dreams.”
At one point, around halfway through his set, O’Connor sat back down at his keyboard setup and began playing Alicia Keys’ “No One.” Though the crowd may have been too young to remember the song’s release, they belted out the words in unison as if it were a Rex Orange County original.
There is a unique appeal to Rex Orange County, and it’s not just in the 21-year-old’s mild-mannered stage presence that progressively becomes more jubilant and interactive as he performs –– though this is one major appeal. O’Connor’s charm becomes fused in his onstage banter, making its way into each of his songs, eventually bleeding over into the crowd.
With only four more stops on his 2020 “Pony” tour, it’s safe to say that O’Connor has crossed the threshold into maturity, calculating and relaying the ups and downs of what every 20-something eventually endures.
