From Strangers to Friends: My night at Gigi’s Las Vegas Show
It’s typically common for me, as a concertgoer, to attend shows alone. The mentality I have is: why wait for someone else to say yes just to experience something with you when you can go alone? It was foolish of me to think I’d walk out of the venue having experienced the show alone, though.
Gigi has always made sure to let her fans know that she’s about community. In every post she makes, in the speeches she gives, and the music she writes—she shows that the door is always open for anyone and everyone, and that message stuck with fans and was put into practice.
I had the opportunity to see Gigi during soundcheck alongside Emma, Poppa Andy, and Alex, whom I met in line. We lined up beside each other at the barricade, anxiously waiting for Gigi to appear. In the meantime, we laughed at each other's jokes and exchanged stories.
Emma is from Austin, Texas. She’d never been to Vegas before, and she expressed happily that her layover allowed her to come to the show. We bonded over the fact that we both saw Gigi play at Coachella.
The father and daughter, Andy—who we would later affectionately call Poppa Andy—and Alex, loved going to concerts together. Poppa Andy had taken Alex to Adele’s residency in Vegas, and Alex even had Adele’s signature tattooed on the back of her arm. They had gone as far as flying to London so Alex could see Conan Gray. It was their thing. In between the breaks, even her father would join us in conversation. And even with those around us, they welcomed everyone with open arms. It was heartwarming to see and be a part of.
Her album At the Beach in Every Life was released on April 25, 2025. Typically, after the year mark, things have settled down for an artist, but with Gigi, her album gained a second life. The 12-track project contains themes of love and loss. Every song felt intimate with the stripped-back acoustic and layered vocals; you can’t help but be drawn in and feel the love and loss with her.
“Please Be Rude” rang through the venue, took over the audience, and placed them in a trance. The feeling of heartbreak and yearning seeped through the amps, and you could see it written all over Gigi’s face as she sang. It transferred straight to us, the audience. Throughout the show, Gigi and her band remained engaged with the crowd. Her bassist smiled at us whenever she could, and Gigi ran from one side of the stage to the other whenever she had a pocket in the song where she wasn’t needed at the mic.
As the night went on, she did us the favor of singing songs that aren’t just on her latest album. She sang "Glue," which was featured on her first album, and sang the songs she was featured on, like "Collide" with Hayley Kiyoko and "In the Middle" with Mt. Joy. As she sang "In the Middle," the lights flashed red and a sultry feeling was felt in the air. As the band built up the sound, Gigi grabbed her mic, stepped off stage, made her way to the barricade, and sang right in front of us. I could feel the love she carried for every single person in the room; you could see her wishing she could hug every person there.
"Sailor Song" was the last song, and after we sang it once, she stopped to give a speech. “If you feel like you don't belong, you belong here in this room, with me...” she said as she strummed the chords to "Sailor Song." As she started the song from the top, she pointed the neck of the guitar as she strummed over the right side of the crowd and followed the rest of the crowd with it, almost to let us know that she sees us, even after being in the crowd a few moments ago.
Glancing over at Gigi's father, who was watching us sing her lyrics back to her with pure pride, it hit me. I am so often guilty of forgetting about the community that comes with music. I'm just incredibly grateful Gigi reminded me that night.
Stream gigi perez’s At the beach, in every life on all major platforms.
