On July 16, at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Indigo De Souza put on an unforgettable performance supported by Primer. People of all ages came together for a great night of music and dancing.

Alyssa Midcalf uses the alias Primer to write, produce, and play addictive synth-pop songs. The duo announced that this was their first time in Milwaukee, and this was the last show on Indigo De Souza’s tour that they’d be opening for. “I really do love the Midwest,” Midcalf said upon opening the set. Expanding on her connection with the crowd, she later told the audience that she had heard the best way to win them over was with beer, brats, and cheese. The audience cheered, and I noticed the Miller Lite she brought onstage with her sitting under the synthesizer. Alyssa was definitely correct in her approach to win over a Wisconsin crowd, and continued to win us over with her dreamy music. 

Aside from the banter with the crowd, Primer put on a truly captivating show. Alyssa sings with a passion and clarity that is unique, yet reminds me of the stylings of Courtney Barnett. Many of their songs perfectly combined a gritty bassline and flowing, dream-like synthesizers. In one of the songs, Alyssa pulled out a camcorder to document the crowd and her bandmate onstage. At the end of this same song, it appeared that she was playing the theremin, which is an electronic instrument that makes sound based on your hands shape and their proximity to it. I’ve always thought that theremins were very cool, so seeing one used during a live performance was a magnificent first for me. Primer also played the title track from their 2024 EP Round and Round, which was incredible live. The song has a slow but boppy melody and a heavier bassline that gives certain elements of the song a contrast and makes it interesting to listen to. 

One of the best parts of getting to see so many concerts as a photographer is discovering artists you’ve never heard of. I was unfamiliar with Primer’s music before this show, and they didn’t disappoint. Milwaukee gave the band a great energy and send off for their last show of the tour – I’d love to see them return to Brew City in the future. 

The crowd in Turner Hall was buzzing while waiting for Indigo De Souza’s team and band to ready the stage. While we waited, ambient noise and birds chirping were playing to set a serene mood for the show. When Indigo approached the microphone, she took a moment to talk about how she was just crying while watching Primer perform from the balcony of the venue. She thought it was so cool how all of us different people gathered together in a room to experience the same thing. Indigo opened the set by playing “Be My Love,” the first track off her new album, Precipice, which is set to release on July 25. The song was beautiful and gave enough room for the energy of her next song, “Wasting Your Time.” I love how her discography has a mix of beautiful acoustic songs and grungier indie-rock tracks, like her second song of the night. 

Indigo gave fans a nice treat and also played some brand-new songs, but one of my favorite moments of the night was when she played “Heartthrob,” another single from her upcoming album. The cheers that erupted from the audience carried an energy that held up throughout the remainder of the show. Everyone in the crowd was jumping, and many people who were standing at the back of the crowd were dancing with each other. “I really put my back into it,” Indigo sang as a palpable joy could be felt throughout the room. Indigo also played her latest single from Precipice, “Be Like The Water.” She sang with such raw emotion that my full attention was caught. I was taken with how the drums evolved throughout the song, and how they added to the melody and emotion. 

Between songs, Indigo and her band had some really fun moments of banter with the crowd. They talked about how they had a grueling drive that day from Des Moines to Milwaukee, and that all of them got the same severe weather alert on their phones at the same time. Indigo also said that she had played Turner Hall before when opening for Lucy Dacus on Valentine’s Day during COVID. Another notable song played by Indigo was an unreleased song, “Love Transcends,” which she deemed as the band’s emo song. I definitely felt the emo influence in the song, as the instrumentals reminded me of some of my favorite songs in the Midwest emo genre. Following the song, bassist Landon George asked the crowd if the song was emo enough for them, and then said my new motto: “You can take the kid out of the scene, but you can’t take the scene out of the kid.”

Indigo continued the show with her shining personality and hilarious commentary, along with playing more earworm-inducing songs like “Sick In The Head.” After a couple more songs, Indigo and her band left the stage, but the house lights stayed down and the crowd cheered for an encore. As the energy ramped up, Indigo, Landon, Lila Richardson (drums), and Maddie Shuler (guitar/ lap steel) came back onto the stage for the loudly demanded encore. To finish off a memorable show, the band played “Take Off Ur Pants” from Indigo’s 2018 album I Love My Mom. It seemed like everyone in the room knew the words to the song, and the concert turned into a party. Once again, Indigo De Souza left her mark on Milwaukee and put on a show that fans will never forget. Keep an eye out for Indigo De Souza’s new album, Precipice, which will be out and available for streaming next week.

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