Photo Credit: Lindsey Blane<\/p>\n
Review by Bridget Quinn<\/p>\n
Last Thursday night, a crowd lined up outside Paradise Rock Club, tense with anticipation for the \u201canti-pop\u201d singer Xana to take the stage. Fans huddled together to block the chill of the evening while chatting with new acquaintances. Once doors opened, many made their way to the merch table, run by Xana\u2019s own sister, to grab the now-iconic \u201cXana jersey,\u201d the unofficial uniform of the night.<\/span><\/p>\n The opener, Siena Liggins, brought an unexpected burst of energy. Her set began with pounding electronic beats and autotuned vocals, creating a rave-like atmosphere that startled the audience in the best way possible. Liggins, a pop\/R&B artist from Atlanta with clear hyperpop influences, quickly won over the crowd. Her humor and crowd work kept the audience engaged and laughing, bridging a connection to Xana\u2019s energy to come. Standouts from her set included unreleased tracks like \u201cRIOT!\u201d and \u201cf.LAME.\u201d She closed the performance on a high note with a well-known song, \u201cHOTTIES,\u201d\u00a0 as the crowd\u2019s cheers echoed her playful call of, \u201cAre there any hotties here tonight?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Before Xana took the stage, \u201cMr. Brightside\u201d blared through the speakers, prompting a venue-wide singalong that only intensified the anticipation. Technical difficulties briefly disrupted the start of her opening song, \u201cSave the Bullets, Baby!,\u201d but once resolved, the show ignited. Fans screamed back every lyric, especially during the line, \u201cSaid I didn\u2019t want you\u2026\u201d answered by a thunderous, \u201cI\u2019m a goddamn liar!\u201d The set continued with \u201cKicker\u201d and \u201cI Don\u2019t Deserve This,\u201d the latter building to a stunning emotional crescendo.<\/span><\/p>\n Xana then kept the energy soaring with fan favorites \u201cBetter of Best Friend\u201d and \u201cHomewrecking Era,\u201d dancing across the stage with electric charisma. After the high-octane openers, she paused to introduce her band: Liam McLaren on guitar, Liam Moes on keys, and tour manager Jess Jones on drums.<\/p>\n This moment led to one of the night\u2019s most memorable interactions: Xana invited a fan, Sam , on stage to help choose the next song. Each band member offered an option,\u00a0 \u201cLavender Daughter,\u201d \u201cCocaine,\u201d and \u201cLove Like This,\u201d with the latter emerging victorious. The stage transformed with floral projections and soft, moving lights, perfectly complementing the song\u2019s tender tone.<\/span><\/p>\n Later, Xana connected with another fan holding a sign about her first sapphic breakup. With humor and empathy, Xana comforted her, saying, \u201cFriends, we have one going through war,\u201d before dedicating the next song, \u201cSick Joke,\u201d to her. The crowd shouted the lyric \u201cI blame you\u201d in unison, creating one of the night\u2019s most cathartic moments. The emotional release was felt by all in attendance. She followed it with \u201cYellow,\u201d bathing the stage in golden light and filling the room with warmth, bringing a more positive tone back to the night.<\/span><\/p>\n The participatory energy continued as Xana called another fan, Melenie, on stage to select between \u201cPray,\u201d \u201cFeral,\u201d and \u201cMy Therapist Told Me,\u201d choosing the latter to enthusiastic cheers. Xana expressed deep gratitude for her audience throughout the show, thanking them for their support throughout her career and for embracing her latest album, \u201cThe Sex Was Good Until It Wasn\u2019t.\u201d Calling it her \u201crockstar moment,\u201d she delivered the title track with headbanging passion and infectious confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCrying After Sex\u201d slowed the pace with emotional intimacy, but the calm didn\u2019t last long as the powerful beat of \u201cComplex\u201d quickly reignited the crowd. \u201cKitchen Light,\u201d one of her most beloved tracks, followed. The audience erupted as Xana seamlessly transitioned into a cover of Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cCruel Summer,\u201d blending her sound with the pop anthem effortlessly. She closed the main set with \u201cConfidential,\u201d leaving the stage to roaring applause and darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n The encore began with an unreleased track, \u201cIs It Everything You Thought,\u201d hinting at a harder rock direction for Xana\u2019s future releases. The audience\u2019s enthusiastic response showed they were ready to follow her into this next chapter. Finally, she ended the night with \u201c4ever,\u201d dedicating it to a recent graduate in the crowd, a fittingly nostalgic and emotional finale to an evening filled with connection and growth.<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, Xana delivered a high-energy, deeply engaging show that reflected her dedication to her fans. The setlist balanced beloved hits with new material, and her stage presence was both commanding and genuine. My favorite aspect of the night was the constant audience participation,\u00a0 which made everyone feel like part of the show\u2019s creation. Xana doesn\u2019t just perform <\/span>for<\/span><\/i> her fans; she performs <\/span>with<\/span><\/i> them.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo Credit: Lindsey Blane Review by Bridget Quinn Last Thursday night, a crowd lined up outside Paradise Rock Club, tense with anticipation for the \u201canti-pop\u201d singer Xana to take the stage. Fans huddled together to block the chill of the evening while chatting with new acquaintances. Once doors opened, many made their way to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25371,"featured_media":50396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1525,1523,15],"tags":[117,2568],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50392"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50392"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50471,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50392\/revisions\/50471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}