Filing in from around both sides of the sidewalk were mostly young girls excitedly anticipating the show at the Sinclair last Wednesday, November 7. Although I think the hype in the air was mainly for the headliner, MAX (best known for his song “Lights Down Low”), I was there to see the first opener, EZI. EZI is a younger artist who just released her first EP, Afraid of the Dark, this year. She is a former Nickelodeon star that rebranded herself after being selected as the very first artist signed to Steve Madden’s 5Towns Record label, and she’s been putting out some pretty awesome tunes ever since.
The show began suddenly with guitar, a drum machine, and a simple backing track. Soon, EZI busted out on stage with high energy balanced out by her chill, casual demeanor. She started out her set with some of her newer music that the audience seemed to receive well – overall everything was easy to dance to and seemed to have a serious focus on the bass (which was THUMP-ING the entire time). After a bit, she transitioned into her more popular hits, like “anxious.,” a song about her struggle with mental health that was super relatable and catchy. I was impressed by how much EZI focused on including her audience in her experience on stage, making sure they understood why she wrote each song and actively trying to get them to interact with hand sways and sing-along sections (which was especially successful during her cover of “Mr. Brightside” – a classic in any setting/crowd).
Ending the set with her most popular song, “DaNcing in a RoOm,” followed by a new track set to be released on her next project, EZI left the room with a buzz in the air and really set the tone for the rest of the night. If you get the chance, check out some of her upcoming show dates in New York and Canada before she wraps up this tour, and keep an eye out for that next release!