March 14th at the El Rey was a night for the outcasts and it was magical. Leanna Firestone opened the night and her beautiful voice could be heard even from outside. A lot of her music has a relatable nostalgic feel to it. Leanna's song "Strawberry Mentos" captures the feeling of being in a relationship that's warm and affectionate by talking about candy and it's refreshing to listen to. Her smile also lit up the whole space, it was easy to tell that she's passionate about her music and appreciated her fans. Even just on her acoustic guitar, Leanna's performance was still filled with a ton of energy. It was cool seeing the audience sing along to her song "You Just Didn't Like Me That Much". This is a song that I feel like the world needs because it talks about having feelings for someone who just isn't interested and coming to terms with it and just accepting it. This is something that isn't really talked about, so having a song for people to process these kinds of situations, I feel like is something that a lot of people are going to be able to process things better from. The song has powerful lyrics such as “And the opposite of love is indifference”. 

Another one of her songs that stands out is "Least Favorite Only Child". If you've ever felt unloved by your parents and wanted their love and to not be a disappointment to them, you'll relate to this song. The lyrics “I just wanna feel different than what I've felt before'' pulls at the heartstrings.  It was also refreshing to hear Leanna joke around and talk about how she's now been in one of the best long-term relationships she's ever been in.  One of the songs Leanna finished her set off with was her newest song "Cool!", which starts with the lyrics “I don’t eat my feelings, I swallow them whole”.  It's a really good song to end a set with because it has a lot of energy to it. It was also nice seeing Leanna after listening to her for years and seeing how much she cares about her fans. She was taking Polaroids with her fans after the show which was really wholesome and I got a chance to talk to her briefly, which is a moment that I'll always treasure.

After Leanna Firestone's set, Maddie Zahm (the talented headliner), graced the stage. The official name of Maddie's tour is Now That I've Been Honest and boy does it live up to its name. You can also tell right away that she shares a close bond with her band that was up on stage with her.  You can even see the bond when she's singing while sitting next to one of the guitar players in her band -what a heartfelt moment. She also brought Francis Karel on the stage and they sang "Seeing Other People" to each other. Which is a song that if you've been hurt by other relationships in the past and you're still trying, you'll relate to this one.  The lyrics such as “I went and broke my heart again” are definitely relatable.  Not to mention the singers sing really well together on stage.

I really loved the confidence Maddie showed as she moved around the stage and sang. It was a brave moment when Maddie talked about her religious trauma and sang some songs about it as well, her song "If it's Not God Being One of Them" which talks about her choice to leave religion behind because they didn't accept her for her sexuality.  It's a powerful song and I'm proud of her for choosing herself in the end and making a choice for her own happiness. I'm sure her choices have given strength to many other people in the LGBTQ+ community.  Her song "Bedroom" was exciting to hear live, ranging from her energy, the sick guitar solo and the audience dancing and singing to it, it was a moment in the set to be remembered. She also got up and personal in the crowd during her song "You Might Not Like Her" which is a powerful song about growing up and becoming yourself even if it wasn't the person your younger self thought you'd be and that it'll be scary at first but you'll learn to grow into that version of yourself. I feel like it's a good song for young adults and teenagers because it lets you know that it's ok to grow into a different person than who you thought you would be. One of the songs Maddie wrapped up with was "Fat Funny Friend", and during that song, there were moments when just the audience was singing. This song has lyrics that will make you cry such as “do they keep me around, so their flaws just seem silly”.

Overall it was a night filled with music that the world needs but nonetheless will still bring you to tears. So if you want music that will touch your soul, I highly recommend checking out both Leanna and Maddie.