UPSAHL

UPSAHL • Conor Burns • Zoe Ko • October 6, 2024 • Soundwell

Reviewed and Photographed by Paige May

On October 6, 2024, Utah gave a very warm welcome to the Indie pop artist UPSAHL, with talented support by Conor Burns and Zoe Ko. UPSAHL has played in Utah numerous times over the course of her music career both opening for artists such as Madison Beer as well as headlining her own tours playing at venues like Kilby Court. The moment doors opened, the crowd slowly began filling into the Soundwell, a cozy venue located in the heart of downtown.

The demographic attending this show was diverse and provided a variety of different people that included everyone from long-time fans to newcomers. Full of excitement and anticipation, the crowd made their way towards the stage wanting to be as close as possible to the musicians. Already, with the energy fans had provided, the tone was set. This was going to be an unforgettable show, and boy was it. 

Zoe Ko 

Opener, Zoe Ko, did an effortlessly beautiful job of getting the crowd warmed up. The talented guitarist, Liza Light, walked on stage and began playing music to hype up the crowd. Zoe then entered the stage and immediately carried an upbeat spunky personality, almost similar to Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani and they ran with that adding in a cover of “Hollaback Girl”. She was an absolute diva. The band’s sound was a captivating blend of Alternative and pop, giving a very similar vibe to that of Olivia Rodrigo. Both Zoe and Liza together danced in perfect harmony, running from one side of the stage to the other. Their playful energy was contagious as they jumped, twirled, and engaged with fans and even climbed onto amps, influencing the crowd to maintain such high enthusiasm.

Conor Burns

As Zoe wrapped up her set with a bang, the crowd began to disperse, taking a moment to catch their breath after the wild dancing, still buzzing with excitement and eagerness to hear from the next band. With a single strum of a guitar, the crowd jumped and turned their gaze over to the stage as Conor Burns and his band, Chase Vernon on drums and Sal Suriano on guitar, made their way to the stage.

However, almost as soon as Conor began to sing the opening song, the audio began cutting out, disrupting both his vocals and Jeff’s backing harmonies. It was a frustrating moment and throughout the rest of the set, they encountered a series of technical difficulties that could have easily thrown off any performer.

However, With his charming and enchanting personality, Conner instantly carried a stage presence that I immediately knew was worthy of making note of and quickly recovered smoothly from any production errors. From dipping the mic to falling to his knees and bending back onto the stage, there was a constant form of entertainment that never failed to pull you in. The guitarist and drummer were just as noticeable as they were locked in, rich guitar riffs and intricate drum fills creating an engaging pattern of rhythms. 

UPSAHL

With every passing moment, excitement continued to build in the atmosphere. Fans were jumping up and down with anticipation as they awaited what was about to unfold. As the lights faded to a dim blue and the words “melt me down” as well as the outline of an ice cube illuminated the stage from a neon sign, a clear chair looking as if it was carved from ice, was brought out and placed onto center stage. Sal Suriano (Guitarist) and Jake Richardson (Drummer) made their way to the stage beginning the opening song and inviting UPSAHL to join them.

Screams began to spread throughout the venue as UPSAHL made her way to the stage, dressed in an all-blue latex two-piece set and an iridescent coat, singing “Tears On The Dance Floor” while engaging with her fans. After the first few songs had played there was a moment of silence where UPSAHL invited everyone to close their eyes. She then encouraged the crowd to sing, dance, and act however they wanted as this was a safe space.

To my surprise, the crowd managed to be even more ecstatic than before, singing proudly and throwing their arms and legs in every direction. This energy was maintained throughout the entirety of the show. During the set, like the previous band, the audio did continue cutting out yet UPSAHL still managed to sing along, impressing the crowd with her vocal range and control, leaving everyone in awe with her rich and powerful voice with a hint of raspiness. 

Joining UPSAHL on stage each band member from the band’s prior had come back on stage to indulge in a cover of “Heads Will Roll” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs continuing the excitement. As the song ended and a few more songs played, they then proceeded to walk off stage as the lights went dim. Just as everyone thought the show was over, UPSAHL’S voice came over the speaker and spoke about artists needing to “cool off” giving an exciting outlook to an intermission.

Once again, after a few moments, the lights came back but this time as a rich red color. The neon sign in the background is now turning into an ice cube with flames on it. As the band walked back out the first thing that stood out was the outfit changes. Both Sal and Jake came out shirtless as UPSAHL came out in a red body suit paired with a fire red jacket. This was a key performance to really set the scene for the theme around the entire tour titled “Melt Me Down.” Ice VS Fire. The cherry on top if you will.

Towards the end of the set UPSAHL set a nostalgic tone, talking about how far she’s come and how the support of her fans means everything to her. She then invited her sister Ryan Upsahl to the stage and together they sang acoustic versions of her original songs “Arizona” and “Good And Bad” making it a tender moment to witness. As she walked off stage the crowd went wild, gaining an encore, playing some of her most popular tracks such as “Drugs” and “Thriving” and ending the night with a bang “Sad Sorry After Party”.

As the room darkened and the house lights went up, you were met with the sight of the audience both out of breath and completely speechless. There’s no question here as to how these bands have such a passionate following.