LP puts brings down the house at the 9:30 Club on March 5, 2018. (Photo by David LaMason)

LP’s music has been around for years, and even before she had released her break out single, “Into the Wild,” in 2012. Most of her work was heard through the lens of other artists such as Rihanna, Cher, and Christina Aguilera. But if you are versed in LP’s own catalog or her amazing performances you know that besides having a talent for great songwriting, LP is one brilliant showperson and has a vocal range that makes even the most seasoned performers envious. That brilliance was on full display in a sold-out show at 9:30 Club on Monday.

Late last year, LP had released her fourth full-length album, Lost On You. I had heard a number of the songs on LP’s newest after catching them on the Death Valley EP that came out a few months before its release. “Lost On You,” the title track, is definitely hard to get out of your head, and the powerful opener, “Muddy Waters,” which at once laments being mired in a bad situation and also offers that “to get across, you know, we’ll have to raise the sand.” But the track I keep hearing myself coming back to is “Switchblade,” a slower song but one that’s hard to shake. Lost On You is a continuation of the tight songwriting from previous releases, most notably Forever For Now, but it’s clear this time that the songs on this new album are more reflective of the range that LP can deliver (even showcasing her amazing whistling abilities).

At 9:30 Club, LP brought a fantastic performance to the stage, which was set up with an array of large vertical lights at the rear. She both figuratively and literally lit up the club. LP, born Laura Pergolizzi, is one of those artists that can both write a great tune but then can deliver in such a way that the audience feels a close connection, even in a large, crowded space.

Most of the songs in the set list included songs from the aforementioned Lost On You and Forever For Now, but added to the mix were two new songs: “Girls Go Wild” and “Recovery” (which might be one of my favorites now).

After a beautiful version of “Switchblade,” LP and the band had a brief intermission before going into “When We’re High,” a song that was definitely a crowd favorite and had LP going out into the packed club floor. I was reminded of the last time LP came through the DC area a couple of years back at the U Street Music Hall. where I got a glimpse of her power as a performer. Her stage presence shines especially in a large venue like the 9:30 Club, which is perfectly suited to the high energy and audience interaction that LP is known for.

Watch a video of “When We’re High” from the album Lost On You by LP on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfkgOWrd1vc&w=640&h=360]

As LP continues her tour, definitely check her out here.

The set list included:

Strange
Other People
Tightrope
Up Against Me
You Want It All
Suspicion
Girls Go Wild – new song
Recovery – new song
No Witness
Switchblade
When We’re High
Tokyo Sunrise
Free to Love
Lost on You

Encore:

Muddy Waters
Into the Wild

Here are some pictures of LP performing at the 9:30 Club on March 5, 2018. All photos copyright and courtesy of David LaMason.