Mallrat @ Lodge Room 4/4/2018
At long last, rising pop star Mallrat finally held a show in Los Angeles. Was it worth the wait?
One of Brisbane, Australia’s brightest young stars, 19-year-old Grace Show drifted into public consciousness with their wispy Uninvited EP in 2016. Since then, I’ve wanted to catch them in show, finally getting my chance at the Lodge Room in Highland Park for their first headlining tour.
Setting the scene with SOPHIE’s “MSMSMSM“, Shaw bounced out onto the stage draped in a coat like something an Office Max-sponsored Nascar driver would wear. It fit their aesthetic of casual coolness and gave their the air of a fighter in a boxing robe. That said, I wish their own confidence matched this look.
At certain points in their set, the softness of Shaw’s voice practically withdrew into their instrumentals. Shaw told me they still gets used to the fact that performance is now their job, and initially that showed.
But thankfully, this crowd went wild for them, dancing on the Lodge Room’s open floors and shouting back lyrics without worrying if Shaw said them at all. Once they saw the audience’s enthusiasm, Shaw appeared to visibly grow in confidence, matching the smooth self-assurance of their sophisticated material.
Speaking of material, Shaw gave the audience practically everything they have to offer, collaborations included. Cuts from Uninvited played alongside Oh Boy features “Bunny Island” and “Rush Hour”. As an added treat, rapper (and “best friend”) Allday appeared for “UFO”, further highlighting the camaraderie evident in Shaw’s sound and image.
The grand finale of “Uninvited” felt like a victory lap, Shaw flexing their talents both for the crowd and themselves. For a song about dipping out early, “Uninvited” brought the crowd to its highest point all evening. No one looked ready to leave, with fans eagerly lining up to congratulate Shaw on a show well done.
Mallrat might hail from down under, but they won’t remain under the radar much longer.