LIVE REVIEW: The Midnight at The Historic El Rey Theater in Albuquerque, NM on November 23, 2021

Photographer and Reviewer: Jennifer Coelho

Artist: The Midnight

Location: The Historic El Rey Theater, Albuquerque, NM

Date: November 23rd, 2021

Walking into the Historic El Rey, there was an energy in the room unlike anything else I’d ever experienced. Being unfamiliar with both bands, I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed and open atmosphere created by their fans. The evening kicked off with opener Jupiter Winter which consists of singer-songwriter Lelia Broussard and Royce Whittaker who played a short set which included their new song “Coming of Age.” The crowd enjoyed their performance as well as the news that Lelia and Royce would be back after a short break to perform in the Midnight’s band.

The Midnight kicked off their sixteen song set with “Neon Medusa,” which was released off their 2020 EP, The Horror. On this tour, the duo (also known as Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan) were joined on guitar, keyboard and backing vocals by Royce Whittaker, bass and vocals by Lelia Broussard along with Jesse Molloy on saxophone and backing vocals. The audience was more than ready for the band’s performance and Tyler made note that it was the Midnight’s first time playing in Albuquerque. Throughout the night, the five-piece band wowed the crowd with their high energy performance and killer stage presence.

Two notable moments of the night were when the audience participation was at an all-time high during the ending of “Lost Boy,” as well as a special request for a young audience member’s birthday of “Sunset.” All in all, it was a fantastic night.

The Midnight is taking a break for the remainder of 2021, but be sure to catch them when their tour continues on March 9, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jennifer Coelho