Road trip to rhythm

It was such a thrill to see LP perform on her Churches tour last month after more than 2 years of waiting. If there is any musician worth waiting for, LP is one!

As Laura Pergolizzi’s magical performance takes center stage, the New York-born artist displays the natural ability to radiate exhilarating energy, which ultimately captivates the entire audience. Hence, I am not surprised that LP has one of the most loyal fan bases I have ever seen.

In August 2021, I booked a VIP Soundcheck package to see LP live in concert at The Historic El Rey Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During the soundcheck, LP played “No Witness” – “Strange” and “How to Be the One that you Love.” Afterward, she came down to sign autographs and do photos with fans.

LP was greeted with a variety of gifts, these gifts included a custom handmade “Naja” of Silver and Black Spiderweb Kingman Turquoise with a handmade Navajo Pearl necklace by Reggie Mitchell and his son Bronson, Navajo/Dine’ 5th and 6th generation old-style jewelers. This neckpiece was stunning and custom-made for LP just a few days before the show. Her eyes lit up with admiration upon first sight of the Navajo jewelry. LP immediately put it on and thanked the father and son. I later spoke with Reggie who shared some insight into his craft.

”The Naja, it is called, is hand-carved in stone and powerful in many ways,” he begins. “In Navajo, the crescent represents that we all come into this world as spiritual beings and have human experiences; then, we are back out as spiritual beings. The crescent represents a mother’s womb and Mother Earth. My son makes the Navajo pearls, made by two hemispheres in relation to your partner, and with you and Mother Earth, and are soldered together.” Quite a powerful work of art indeed and fitting for such a compelling artist that is LP.

The moment LP stepped out in her black boots, she set the stage on fire. She worked her magic through a setlist of tracks that embodied the best of her work. She showers her audience with gratitude while sharing what I would deem to be musical masterpieces, “Lost on You,” for example, a chart-topping release just celebrated a billion streams! She burned through her set like wildfire while keeping the audience engaged. She smoldered with patience and perseverance. This live performance was epic while inducing massive audience sing-a-longs that are known to dominate every crevice of her highly anticipated and often sold-out shows.

Highlights in her set included “Everybody’s Falling in Love Right Now” – “Strange,” – “Muddy Waters” and “Forever for Now.” Nick Leng played support for LP during the entire 2022 North American Tour and came out with flawless rhythm and finesse on the tambourine during “My Body” a song Leng co-wrote with LP and featured on LP’s newest album release “Churches.”

Of course, she gave an encore and the last song “Lost on You” and brought onstage Taiya Getman, a deaf teacher for New Mexico School for the Deaf, who was singing and dancing, and feeling the excitement of everybody together and in the moment.

The following night, I enjoyed a road trip under the stars during the gorgeous full moon in Phoenix, Arizona surrounded by cactus, mountains, and breathing in the hot desert air. Arizona’s show was equally as great as the first one, and she wore her Naja, which she wore for the remainder of her North American tour and has been wearing at shows in Mexico. Her set list was pretty much the same, and she caught her harmonica at both performances. Needless to say, the crowds responded extremely well at both shows.

Donna Eck who runs one of the official fan pages for LP  in the U.S. was at LP’s opening show in Portland Oregon, and the last three shows in Oakland, LA, and San Diego. “Oakland was probably my favorite show,” Donna begins. “I had never seen an artist work a room before like LP did that night. The stage was the center of her web. She spun silk strands over the room with a kiss here, a point there, eye contact, and a hand over her heart. From the front row to the very back of the balcony, she cast her web with radial fibers. Then traversing back and forth across the stage, she had laid her web over the entire crowd. She spent the entire night connecting with fans, leaving many powerless under her spell. From the first show to the last, LP never wavers in her commitment to giving the crowd the best show she can, interacting with fans like no other; she is a magical, mythical creature beyond explanation.”

The whole time I drove back thinking what an incredibly magical time that was, the Arizona and New Mexico heat, the music, the people, and of course LP.