Recently, I had the privilege of seeing not one, not two, but three amazing indie artists at The Basement East. The performers all had one thing in common: All were discovered on TikTok and organically grew their niche fanbases through a few viral hits that jump-started their music careers.
The night opened with mehro’s soft yet soaring voice as he sang “hideous” from his debut album, “SKY ON FIRE.” He played an acoustic guitar wet with reverb that filled the space with an otherworldly air, stopping the audience dead in its tracks.
After a brief happy birthday wish to someone in the crowd whom he called “my love,” he went on to perform a recently-released single titled “whore” from his upcoming album set to release on March 23.
“We’ve all been used before. Nobody is clean. I love you no matter what,” mehro said.
Again, the ethereal production had the crowd lazily swaying along to his raw and empathetic address against toxic and derogatory archetypes. Mehro closed out his set with his top hit, “chance with you.” He invited the audience to meet him at the merch table after, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch him amid the crowd of his adoring fans.
The next act, the two-man show DWLLRS, immediately brought golden retriever vibes reminiscent of mid-2010s alternative bands like The Script and American Authors. The live band that accompanied them took away from the lo-fi vibes of their records, but the dynamic worked well in the moment; everyone was waving their hands up and down, having an amazing time.
After a few more of their hits like “You’re Gonna Cry,” DWLLRS introduced the star of the night: Rosinkranz. Clad in a crocheted, sleeved crop top, she made her way to centerstage and opened with her biggest hit from TikTok, “Backyard Boy.” I remembered this song going viral during the Clairo “Pretty Girl” and Beach Bunny “Prom Queen” eras in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was glad she started things off with a hit.
Things started to take a turn as she followed up with her most recent single, “Sad in Hawaii,” hinting at the fun and freshness of what was to come. The punchy tune had everyone in the crowd bopping along with her energetic delivery.
Rosinkranz mentioned that she has a new album coming out on May 19 and teased fans with some sneak peeks. Rosinkranz went on to play new songs from her upcoming project, including “dreamer,” “pools and palm trees,” “never goes away” and a few more. These songs just might make me a die-hard Rosinkranz fan once I get to listen to the studio-recorded version on repeat this May.
Another fresh track from her upcoming album titled “swinging at the stars” was last on the cue as she implored the audience to chant, “I don’t know where I’ll be! Take my time! Guess we’ll see!” The catchy hook, the anthemic rhythms and the bubbly synths charmed kindred spirits who are just “looking for a good life, swinging at the stars.”
It was the perfect end to a fun concert, and I thoroughly enjoyed swinging along with these stars.
