Hannah Bahng Shows Houston A Banging Good Time
Fans came out in droves to see hannah bahng’s sold out show at White Oak Music Hall in Houston. The Korean-Australian singer-songwriter set out on her first-ever tour in early December, shortly after the release of her debut EP, The Abysmal EP. The Abysmal Tour consists of six dates, starting in Dallas and ending in LA. Despite only having one EP out, she performed to a packed crowd of enthusiastic fans wearing homemade merch and belting out every lyric to every song.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Fans in attendance described her music as reminiscent of Billie Eilish due to her soft, calming vocals and deep, personal lyrics. She began the show with “OLeander” and “tonight’s the night i die to a frank ocean song,” two songs that show off her impeccable lyricism and ability to convey complex emotions to the listener. The latter song even inspired two fans’ unique fanmade merch, matching sweaters with the slogan “tonight’s the night i die at a hannah bahng concert.”
Houston fans immediately captured hannah’s heart with their overflowing energy as one of the first things she said during her song interludes was that she loved being in Texas. Having just performed in Dallas the day before, she came equipped with her own cowboy hat, which she put on to the delight of everyone in the audience. In a particularly sweet moment between her and the crowd, she led everyone into a happy birthday performance for her dog, Berry, who turned ten years old. A fan in the audience could even be seen holding up a sign with Berry’s face on it.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
When introducing her first two acoustic songs, she emphasized to fans that they were the most joyful songs she’d ever written. However, when the first note was heard throughout the venue, a fan shouted “nooooooooooo,” immediately recognizing that hannah was being sarcastic. She played “hannah interlude” and “Vertigo,” two raw, emotional songs that had fans in tears by the time they were over.
Fans were surprised when hannah suddenly asked them if anyone knew how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. One fan was brave enough to say she could, and hannah invited her onto the stage for a one on one competition to see who could solve it faster. The crowd loved this segment, cheering for each person on stage, even those who weren’t competing. While the fan had the lead in the beginning, hannah was able to overcome her slow start and won. Still, as a prize for competing, the fan left the stage with a signed Rubik’s Cube.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Throughout the night, hannah sang two covers that both served to showcase her versatility and ability to make a song her own. The first was a cover of Hozier’s recent hit “Too Sweet,” which completely mesmerized fans. Despite her not doing much to change the song, her own sweet vocals did enough to give the song a different tone than the original. The second song was a cover of Bon Jovi’s “Living On a Prayer,” which she dedicated to all the parents in the audience. Her stripped down take on the song showed her ability to add a unique perspective to a rock classic.
Apart from playing the entirety of her The Abysmal EP, hannah also used the tour as an opportunity to debut two brand new songs with widely different sounds. With only her acoustic guitar to accompany her, she performed “Ribs,” a self described intimate and unfinished song that really resonated with the audience. She then switched out the acoustic guitar for an electric one to sing “What Never Lived,” an uptempo, rock song about the heartbreak that comes along with situationships.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
hannah didn’t make fans wait long for the encore, coming back out on stage immediately after the cheers first started. She even went as far as to ask if they really believed she would leave before playing “perfect blues,” her debut single. When she finally left for good, she did so after letting fans know that she loved playing for them, and she wouldn’t be there without their support.