Lewis Capaldi• w/ Em Beihold• April 23, 2023• UCCU Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
Scottish-born Lewis Capaldi, joined by Em Beihold, brought his sold-out Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent North American tour to Orem, UT on April 23rd. It was one of the last dates added to the tour, and I’m so happy that it was!
I heard that fans started lining up as early as 8 am, maybe even earlier, in hopes of securing the best spot for the General Admission floor area. It wasn’t the warmest day to wait it all day long, but at least it didn’t snow! Regardless, I know from personal experience that fans will do whatever it takes to get the most out of their concert experience!
Em Beihold
Em Beihold kicked off the night, starting by sitting at a piano joined by a drummer and guitarist. She opened her set with, “Groundhog Day.” Everyone in the crowd loved her instantly and made it clear by their cheers for her! Her voice had a sweet, calming tone, but it was also clear and strong. She did a great job interacting with the crowd. Em walked the entirety of the stage throughout the set to wave and sing to the crowd at every angle! For her third song, she announced that it was called, “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad”. She said, “It’s called that because they do!”. The song seemed to be about the ups and downs and lack of control that life sometimes brings. Which definitely mimics a roller coaster!
After that song, Em said that she would be singing the hit Stephen Sanchez song that she’s featured on called, “Until I Found You”. She shared that she and Stephen had recently performed the song on James Corden’s The Late Late Show. As well as performed it in front of Elton John. She excitedly added, “Elton John touched my face!” . The crowd sounded beautiful as they sang along with her to that one!
As Em’s set went on, the crowd didn’t tire of her, and their energy and adoration for her grew! She mentioned that it was her last show on Lewis’ tour. I think everyone would agree that we were lucky to get the pleasure of enjoying her performance! Her last song of the night was the viral hit, “Numb Little Bug.” I had no idea that the song belonged to her! The song, I’ve heard backing many a video on social media is relatable to many. It expresses the numbness that the difficult periods of life can bring.
I think that it’s a comfort to many as they realize that they’re not alone in that feeling. As her set came to a close, my husband asked, “Wouldn’t you agree that she was one of the best supporting acts you’ve ever seen at a show?”. And I think that everyone would agree! Em’s time on stage was thoroughly enjoyed by all who got to be there!
Lewis Capaldi
The time between Em’s set and Lewis’ passed very quickly. The lights dropped and a recorded intro played and lights on stage flashed as the band took the stage. After a minute or two, the man himself, Lewis Capaldi, was on stage. The crowd was beside themselves with excitement. They screamed and draped themselves over the barricade setting an atmosphere of energy that only “fan girls” can. He opened up with a single called, “Forget Me,” from his newest album that will be released in May. It’s one of my favorites of his. The sound is a lot of fun, even though the lyrics are a little sad. It was followed by another one of my personal favorites, which is a heartbreaking, but beautiful song named, “Forever.”
Along with his gorgeous, power-packed voice, Lewis has been open about his battle with Tourettes and anxiety and has allowed himself to be relatable in that way while also drawing people in with an unapologetic sense of humor. He’s really a one-of-a-kind, unique talent and personality and people truly adore him for it! Before the third song, he had a good chat with the crowd. He said, “The tour poster says Salt Lake City, but we’re not in Salt Lake City, are we?” To which the crowd shouted back, “No!!” So he asked, “Where are we then?” And the crowd yelled, “Orem!” Lewis said, “Orem? Orem! What a beautiful name,” and continued, “We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight! And by fun, I mean sing depressing songs for an hour!”
He asked who in the crowd was single, then said that most of the songs would be for them. Then he asked who was in a relationship and said the next song was for them and the inevitable break up of their relationships. During that song, “Lost On You,” he started laughing after singing the start of the song and apologized for burping into the microphone. “The food is really good here!” he said. As he continued, he stopped the song many times as people were screaming things like, “I love you!” to him to which he’d hilariously respond, “I love you, too, strange woman!” or, “I love you, but now is not the time, it’s only the third song!” A few songs later, Lewis announced one of his most popular songs, “Before You Go,” and said matter-of-factly, “This one is about my dead aunt.”
He brought Em Beihold back out to sing with him since it was her last show on the tour, and the two of them turned the already beautiful song into a stunning duet. The crowd also performed their own beautiful part of the song when prompted. Lewis also performed his latest single, “Wish You The Best,” that was released the week before and already had over 12 million streams on Spotify alone!
After singing the song, “Grace,” he said that he had two more songs and then said, “By two more songs I mean, I’m going to sing two songs, walk off stage, go to the toilet, then come back and sing another song!” He followed with two more hits, “Hold Me While You Wait,” and, “Pointless.” For his encore, he sang his hit, “Someone You Loved,” which has been streamed over 2 billion times. Lewis had the audience sing the chorus many times, and it was a lovely thing to witness!
And just like that, the show was over. Even though the nature of Lewis’ songs are typically sad, the show was an uplifting experience! It was a privilege to spend a Sunday night with both Em and Lewis, and their talent radiated joy throughout the UCCU Center! Those who went to the show with me said that they would attend this show again and again if they could – it was just that good! I think I speak for many when I say that Lewis Capaldi and Em Beihold couldn’t come back to Utah soon enough!