The Aces Came to Represent!

The Aces tour has just come to a close and I am feeling the post concert nostalgia. Seeing all of the Instagram posts wrapping up tour has made me reminisce. 

I first stumbled upon The Aces years ago, when I was about 17, and have listened to them ever since. When tickets for their UMI tour went on sale, I grabbed them. Some people, like my friends, might balk at buying tickets 8 months in advance, but I love buying in advance. Tickets are usually cheaper, you don’t risk the show selling out, and the suspense and excitement builds for the big night. Besides, my schedule is always open for a concert.

Buying tickets for The Aces on December 9th in May was a no brainer. 

Webster Hall holds a special place in my heart because it’s where my first concert was. Shoutout to Why Don’t We in December of 2016. Five years later, in December of 2021 I was there to see The Aces. 

This tour was really special to me on a personal level because I absolutely love The Aces and I had been waiting for this for so long, but aside from my personal feelings, this tour was important in that it was an all female tour. The music industry in general is a very male dominated field and it often feels like women are pushed to the sidelines, forced to take different musical paths than desired, and not given the same amount of respect or attention as their male counterparts. 

I started really paying attention and noticing discrepancies between the way female and artists are treated during the height of my boy/girl band obsessions, and it made me realize how male dominated many of the fields I was interested in were and how much more women had to struggle to reach the same level as men. Old news, I know, and unfortunately, this happens in almost every industry. Hopefully, it's beginning to change. 

I could talk about the difference in treatment between male and female artists  for ages (and I will make a post about it at some point), but after noticing how male dominated my feeds were and how little women I was seeing in the roles I was interested in, I made a point to listen to and find and follow many more female artists, photographers, filmmakers, etc. Seeing women fill jobs and roles in fields that you're interested in is so important. It shows that it's possible to achieve and you learn more about the struggles they may have faced and how they overcame them. 

Seeing three all female bands on tour together feels monumental in the representation that they bring. It's them saying we're here and we're ready to rock! 

The first act of the night was Sawyer, a Nashville indie pop duo consisting of Kel Taylor and Emma Harvey. Their girl next door vibe was the perfect way to ease into the night. They played some original songs and got everyone singing along with their cover of The Fray’s “Over My Head”. The duo have such good chemistry together and they were great at talking to the crowd. New York had the honor of being deemed the “cool kid” out of all the states, courtesy of Sawyer. Take that, California! They’re also opening for Joan on their tour in early 2022, so I’ll be seeing them again, which I cannot wait for. 

Next up was The Beaches. In contrast to Sawyer, The Beaches are a lot more rock n’ roll. And they definitely rocked the house. Hailing from Toronto, these girls are cool. Their outfits were dope, their vibe was strong, and their energy was through the roof. It was a killer show. The first song got the blood pumping and I was immediately into it. Jumping around, doing a little dancey dance at moments, and rocking out, it was impossible not to be swept away. They’re flamboyant, edgy, and a ton of fun. I could not stop watching concert videos of them after the show. Seeing them live is just so fun. 

The Aces took the stage after. The all girl band is a mix of Sawyer’s and The Beaches’ genres, resulting in an indie pop/alt rock style. After waiting months and months, seeing them in person was almost surreal. I had to pinch myself. 

Their set was unbelievable. With the crowd singing and dancing along to every word, the floor was shaking. In addition to the band's musical talent, they have a special gift of making every person feel seen.  
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Inserted into the set list were two prerecorded speaking bits, that talked about how important it is for The Aces to be an icon for both feminine and queer representation in music. I really love when artists talk during their sets because you get to know just a little bit more and see how important their music really is to them. I could see their words resonating with people all around me and it felt special to be a part of that connection. 

During the last song, confetti was released from the ceiling and it was magical. There I was in a sea of people, watching a band I love very much, and being showered with confetti. 

Honestly, I’m still not over that night and I don’t think I ever will be. 

You can listen to Sawyer here, The Beaches here, and The Aces here. Check out photos from the show here.