REVIEW: Lulu Grey plays a set well beyond their years

Sep 29

09/26 @ Lark Hall, Albany

“Lulu Grey isn’t a gimmick, they’re an insanely talented singer and songwriter who just happens to be ten.”

While child prodigies are nothing new – you might have seen videos of little kids shredding guitar solos that have grown adults wanting to quit playing music – I still wasn’t ready for was seeing a child prodigy singer/songwriter when I showed up for Lulu Grey’s album release at Lark Hall on a Friday night. As I made my way into the show, I immediately noticed the plethora of children sitting patiently at the front of the stage, with a room filled with adults behind them. Shortly after, Grey took the stage and with a packed house and Hark, aka Erin Harkes’ band, as their backing band, they were more than ready for their moment.

As Grey took the stage, it was immediately hard to ignore the fact that their guitar was as big as they are. That thought turned from an “oh, how cute!” moment to jaw dropping shortly into the first song. It was hard to believe someone so little could play a full-sized acoustic guitar so well. What really stood out to me were the melodies, lyrics, and vocal techniques that were far beyond anything I would have expected – rivaling those of people who have been doing it much longer.

Grey would go on to succinctly explain what each song was about before performing them with such a natural ease, garnering high praise from people in the room as they turned to each other to confirm what they just heard was in fact wisdom and life lessons far beyond Grey’s years. The songs themselves were incredibly well-written, and perfectly accentuated by the extremely tight band which included Harkes on acoustic guitar and backing vocals for part of the set. The lyrical content spanned from dealing with loss and grief, the love they have for their friends, and about the love they have for their sister with autism, a very inspiring moment of acceptance.

For the last song, Grey invited her classmates in the audience to stand in front of the stage to help with the single, “Look At Us Now.” It was a special moment to see a bunch of children feeling that excited about live music. As an added treat after the set, a projector screen was brought onstage, revealing that everyone got to be a part of the music video debut that was at Lark Hall. Hearing Lulu’s classmates cheer and scream as they came up on the screen and when their names rolled in the credits was a beautiful thing to be a part of.

I think my favorite part of this performance was that there wasn’t supposed to be any suspended belief. Watching the stage or closing your eyes, it still sounded like a kid performing, granted, at a level I'd never seen. Lulu Grey isn’t a gimmick, they’re an insanely talented singer and songwriter who just happens to be ten. I can’t wait to see where their musical journey takes them.

Check out Lulu Grey’s debut album Dreamin’ Grey on all major platforms and go pick up the October print issue to read Andy Scullin’s review of it.