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Mal Blum Serenades the Crowd at Portland's Polaris Hall

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On Saturday night, Mal Blum took the stage in a packed room at the Polaris Hall in Portland, Oregon. With support on this tour from both Vial and John-Allison Weiss, these opener’s were the perfect choices to get the crowd excited. As John-Allison mentioned during their set, “Vial and themselves were a perfect intersection on a venn diagram of what Mal’s music sounded like.” The crowd laughed and clapped which spoke to the accuracy of the statement.

As the lights went down and the crowd roared with screams, Mal started off the set strong with songs that made you want to jump up and down and dance such as, “Things Still Left To Say.” Joined by a 3 piece band, the additional instrumentation really helped bring the songs alive. 

During a few short talking breaks Mal was showered with gifts from the crowd such as a friendship bracelet and a bolo tie. He also got to show off his new tattoo that he had just gotten earlier that afternoon. 

Midway through Mal’s set, they described that they were approaching what was considered the “yeehaw block.” The crowd again cheered and clapped loudly. What we would describe as the perfect moment for a scream your lungs out with emotion and feel all your feels portion of the setlist, the curation of the songs chosen seemed perfectly timed to take you on the best rollercoaster of emotions of your life. 

Mal continued on while the crowd loudly sang the lyrics back to him. The show mainly showcased their latest EP “Ain’t It Nice” and most current album, “Pity Boy,” but threw in some well loved classics off of “Every Time You Go Somewhere” and “You Look A Lot Like Me” as well. 

Mal brings true lyricism and real life experiences to the table that everyone in the room seemed to resonate with deeply. At times it seems rare to find an artist that truly sings out their heart on their sleeve, but Mal is hands down that person. They have expertly crafted and brought together a community of folks that can share in similar experiences that Mal often touches on in their work as well as share the joy of what it means to just simply exist in the world.

Mal is finishing their tour in Los Angeles on August 23rd at The Echo. If you are in the area and want to catch a fantastic, lively and down to earth performance, check this show out, it is surely something not to be missed. 

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Review & Photos by: Taylor Sher

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