Ava Max is finally on tour, and we got to check out her mesmerizing show at Houston’s House of Blues with support from Band of Silver and the Scarlet Opera.
Starting off the night was Band of Silver, a sibling trio from the streets of Nashville. The band was energetic for their 30 minute set, although the lead singer Avery’s vocals sounded as if she was singing grunge karaoke. Up next was the ecstatic performance band known as the Scarlet Opera, formerly known as Perta. The Scarlet Opera is just as it sounds, a glamorous mix of music and allure to capture the hearts of outcasts everywhere. The rock band played tracks from their first EP called Comedy and singles like “Big City Thing.” It was refreshing to see how empowering their set was – from choreography from the lead singer to incredible musical numbers by the band, the Scarlet Opera got the crowd hype for what was yet to come.
The lights dimmed down and the crowd started cheering – the big diamond in the middle of the stage started to glow as Ava Max’s spoken word intro to “Diamonds and Dancefloors” began to play. Ava Max walked slowly to the stage and kneeled down to sing the intro to the song, and immediately transitioned to “My Head & My Heart.” The choreography was uniform and added an extra level of pizzazz to Max’s performance.
The show was divided into two parts, where the second part was introduced by another spoken word backing track that lead into “Weapons.” For the track “Maybe You’re the Problem,” Max picked out a fan from the audience to participate in the dance number, and fan Spencer absolutely killed it. More dancing occurred throughout the nights with tracks like “Belladonna” and “Dancing’s Done.” The pop singer ended the show with “Million Dollar Baby,” where all fans went absolutely nuts by singing along the lyrics, and Max acknowledging them all the more.
Ava Max’s persona revolves around this euphoric blast of energy and pop star swagger, something that reflects on her persona on stage. She shows her love for her art through powerful vocals and dance, all while keeping the sense of fan interaction alive. It’s safe to say that Max absolutely brought all of the diamonds to the Houston dancefloor – the diamonds serving as a metaphor for her flashy songs.
I'm a full-time music journalist/photographer from Houston, number one Paramore fan and Husky dog owner. I have a B.S in Radio-Television-Film from UT Austin and a M.A in Mass Communications from the University of Houston, which makes me smart! On top of being an avid concert-goer and movie fanatic, I love bonding with others over the power of local music and media.
