Bathed in blue light and hazy fog, Alexander 23 took to the Scoot Inn stage with the surging guitar lines of his opening song “Cosplay” ringing through the venue. As the opening notes played out, the audience radiated energy, belting out the fan-favorite track with the singer. With the drum and bass lines delivering an explosive chorus, the concert started off on an electrifying note with the 2000s pop-rock inspired song. 

On Wednesday, singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Alexander 23 performed at Scoot Inn for the Austin show of his North American and Europe “Aftershock” tour. Despite touring his debut album, Alexander 23 provided an eclectic catalog of songs ranging from his most recent single to two previous EPs — I’m Sorry, I Still Love You and Oh No, Not Again! The singer even included a few nostalgic covers such as One Direction’s “Night Changes” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone.” 

After openers Alaina Castillo and Grace Enger amped up the audience, Alexander 23 took center stage, flooding the audience with his signature indie-rock and pop sound. With a deeply emotional discography built on relatable but heartbreaking lyricism, Alexander 23 masterfully took the audience through triumphant highs in rock anthems such as “Hate Me If It Helps” and heart-wrenching lows in emotive ballads such as “The Hardest Part.” Hearing the emotion in his voice and seeing the band play with such conviction all came together to tell tales of love, despair, grief, rage and other universal human experiences in an impactful way.  

“Fall 2017 (What If?)” — which the singer declared to be his personal favorite song from Aftershock — made for a standout performance in the show. Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, Alexander 23 mellowed out the crowd with the more folk sounding track. With delicate yet intricate guitar melodies beneath soft vocals, the song started off on a dreamy note before taking on a more twangy and spacey sound during the extended cut of the “What If?” section. From there, the song smoothly transitioned into “Night Changes,” a nostalgic musical choice that garnered cheers from the audience. 

Sonically, Alexander 23 performed a stunning show that leaned on the bands’ abilities to improvise music with one another always in sync — a feat especially shown in songs such as “Hate Me If It Helps,” “Girl” and “If We Were A Party,” with Alexander 23 and his backing band delving into electric instrumental tangents that never ceased to excite the crowd. Vocally, Alexander 23 shifted between bigger belts and soft, folksy falsettos, letting his voice drip with raw emotion that made his songs and overall show feel even more intimate.