Alternative pop artist, Emei, sells out Austin’s Antone’s, dazzling the crowd with her show. She brought along openers Ashley Mehta and Haiden Henderson.
If you know Emei, it’s probably from TikTok. Emei is an expert at going viral, with songs and concert moments garnering millions of views over the years. She has been able to take her shows from college basements to sold-out venues across the world. She has always excelled at her pursuits. For example, at 15, she was a finalist in Chinese Idol, then later graduated from Yale before starting her music career.
The night started with Ashley Mehta, a Filipina-Indian pop singer from San Francisco. Mehta used lots of crowd interaction to warm things up and played a combination of originals and covers like Billie Eilish’s “BIRDS OF A FEATHER.”
Haiden Henderson brought his pop/punk high energy, the “sweat” singer immediately turning up the temperature on the hot, humid concert as he ran and jumped around the stage. He said his leather jacket was definitely a bad idea for the Texas weather. He knew how to appeal to his teen audience with his cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” and told the girls to ditch their boyfriends with his song “DUMP HIM.”
Emei somehow brought even more energy with her mix of pop, alternative, and electronic/dance tracks. The crowd was full of fans dressed in her signature red, white, and black outfits. Emei told everyone to scream at the top of their lungs to as many words as they knew. She slowed things down and sat down in the crowd for “Ginger Tea,’ a beautiful song dedicated to her late grandmother. She also thanked the fans and dedicated the song “Don’t Know About The World” to them.
The show ended with “Scatterbrain,” then for the encore “711,” Haiden Henderson jumped back on stage, and the crew threw out glowing beach balls to end the night on a high note.
I am an Austin, TX-based photographer and filmmaker. I moved from Houston to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I graduated in 2022. I'm a lifelong music lover and spend tons of time attending shows and making music. Some current favorites are Sophie May, Farmer’s Wife, and K. Flay.
