SHOW REVIEW: Olive Klug - The Echo

Olive Klug

Do you ever feel like the lyrics to a song just read your mind? That’s what Olive Klug’s music is to me. It’s refreshing and relatable to hear someone sing about imposter syndrome, Lady Bird, and seeing their ex’s name everywhere they look (angsty girls rise up!). I had the pleasure of sitting in on the live session they did here at KXSC in the spring, but since then, they released a whole album, and I was itching to see them again. This brings us to September 12th at The Echo.

Klug’s debut album, Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded, is an earnest and sentimental indie folk ode to the growing pains of young adulthood. Two separate tracks on the album include the phrase “truth or dare,” which is where the name for the Truth or Dare tour comes from. Attendees had the chance to write truth and dare prompts for the band to answer on stage. My favorite dare involved Klug’s former a capella group joining them on stage to sing a Sweet Tarts-themed jingle. 

The show was intimate, interactive, and felt like a queer musical slumber party. Before the set, Klug’s bandmates came out to teach the lyrics to the chorus of “Out of Line,” and I felt like an eager camper learning from the super cool counselors. During their “Coming of Age” performance, the audience broke out into the most wholesomely respectful moshpit I have ever been a part of. 

I am never afraid to admit I discovered an artist on TikTok, and I am grateful that my algorithm brought me to Klug. After years of watching their acoustic covers on my For You Page and direct messaging them recommendations of my favorite gluten-free spots in LA, it was gratifying to finally see them on stage with a full band. The Echo was the perfect place to lose myself dancing to Klug’s folksy melodies.

 – DJ Hit the Hay aka Claire Fogarty

RIYL: Dodie, Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell