Meet Me @ The Altar’s Say It To My Face tour came through Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut on Friday, January 26. The tour marks the end of the promotional cycle for their debut album Past // Present // Future and sees the band off the heels of a run supporting 5 Seconds of Summer in the second half of 2023.
Elliot Lee kicked off the night with a short set brimming with hyperactive energy. The excitement could be attributed to the fact it was the singer’s very own birthday; regardless, their enthusiasm and infectious joy endeared them to the audience, attracting a long line waiting to meet them between sets.
Up next was John Harvie, a Nashville based artist whose blend of pop, rock, and punk, infused with a hint of influence from the church, fit in seamlessly with the four-band lineup. Despite struggling a bit with his voice, Harvie managed to draw the concert attendees in with his heartfelt songs and a beaming smile that never left his face for even a moment.
Honey Revenge took the stage next, wasting no time diving straight into an energy-packed set that could have easily drawn a headlining crowd of their own. Duo Devin Papadol and Donovan Lloyd have quickly captured the hearts of many with their infectious pop-punk akin to that of Paramore and Stand Atlantic. Their set included tracks from their recent full-length debut album Retrovision, as well as a new song—the title of which has yet to be revealed. The audience reciprocated their explosive stage presence with incredible energy, including the famed Honey Revenge conga line during “Favorite Song” and an invitation for first-time crowd surfers during “Habitual.” They ended their set by sharing that, much like their tour-mates MM@TA, they will be taking a brief break from non stop touring to record their next album, but anticipate that they will be back on the road by this summer.
Meet Me @ The Altar closed out the night with a whirlwind set that thrilled fans new and old alike. Singer Edith Victoria’s signature neon hair and daring makeup looks demand attention, but it’s her stunning voice and stage presence that truly make her the superstar performer that has captured the adoration of fans. Guitarist Téa Campbell and drummer Ada Juarez round out the band’s lineup, the former a powerhouse of a musician even with her more understated fashion and the latter a seemingly endless well of energy providing the beating heart and pulse of the music. As a whole, the trio are making waves in the world of pop punk - an all female band in a genre notoriously dominated by men, bringing along a parade of female-majority supporting artists on a nationwide tour, is an incredible breath of fresh air and inspiration in the scene.
The band allowed the audience a choice of “May The Odds” or “A Few Tomorrows” early on in the set; “Tomorrows” was the winner, with Campbell joking that it was the more depressing of the two songs and commenting that it has claimed victory several nights in a row now. Truly ones to always champion the love of music above all else, the three musicians have been including a section mid-set where they perform short sections of songs they wish they had written. Victoria’s pick was “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson; Juarez chose “Take Me Away” by Christina Vidal, from the movie Freaky Friday; and Campbell closed the segment with “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers.
Other songs in the set included the feminist anthem “Hit Like A Girl,” an ode to the powerful women who are so often discredited purely because of their gender, as well as their popular tracks “T.M.I,” “Kool,” and set closer “Say It (To My Face).” The tour continues across New England, into Canada, and then onto the west coast before finishing up in Nashville on February 21, so be sure to catch this action-packed show when it comes to a city near you!
