Live Review: Rixton @ El Rey Theatre 8/24

(Guest Review by Tracy Smith)

“We will always be your little secret,” Rixton lead singer Jake Roche repeated throughout the show to their beloved fans. A secret not well kept due to the overwhelming support the four man group from Manchester received on their recent The Broken Heart Tour. Their LA show sold out so quickly the band added a second LA date for their avid fans.

The talented duo Michael and Marisa opened for Rixton on their second night at the El Rey.   Although they played a short set of only a few songs, the duo sent an ease of calm over the crowd that helped soothe the many antsy teenagers crowded into the venue. Neither performer was very interactive with the crowd, but what they lacked in stage presence they more than made up for with enchanting and harmonious music. Michael and Marisa also announced the completion of a new album, so stay tuned because these two have the potential to be something special.

Riverside born rapper and singer T. Mills, who recently ended his own headlining tour supporting his latest All I Wanna Do EP, dazzled the crowd as the second opener. There is always something in store for the lucky viewers of a T. Mills set, and this time he decided to grace the crowd with a new song that sparked a flame too hot to be extinguished. He had the crowd hooked from the moment he stepped onstage until the moment he exited.

After a long but incredibly entertaining wait, the Rixton boys took the stage. They began by playing one of their lesser known singles, and then covering Ariana Grande’s “Problem”. Their cover of this song is featured on their YouTube channel, but it was even more exciting live. The boys then surprised the crowd by allowing them to be featured in the video for their newest single “Wait on Me”. While filming, they proved to still be able to perform the song in a way that made the crowd forget the cameras were there.

In addition to the music itself the fantastic sense of humor shared by the entire group made the show even more enjoyable. The jokes and laughs were shared by all of the band members with such ease that it was actually heart-warming to hear the love they had for each other and their fans. There was also a display of stellar dance moves from singer Jake Roche throughout the show that would cause for the eruption of any teenage girl’s ovaries. The guys really let loose during a cover of R. Kelly’s hit song “Ignition” with a delightful twerking battle featuring a brief preview from every band member.

Rixton closed out the show with their hit single “Me and My Broken Heart” featuring a hyped up T. Mills in the corner showing off some of his own dance moves. The closing of their song sparked a wild dance break-out on stage which also featured T. Mills and several of the wonderful people that had embarked on the tour with the band. This I can imagine was very emotional for all as they celebrated the end of many successful shows. In the midst of it all, singer Jake Roche managed to dive into the crowd and make it out alive.

Rixton proved to be a secret worth knowing about. The artists provided an amazing night of music in Los Angeles, and I would recommend that all age groups delve deeper into their music and be on the lookout for future shows.