Soccer Mommy Tour Photos and Recap | BLIGATORY Concert Series

Feat: Hana Vu

Writing and Photography by Trent "Pax" Lowder

Soccer Mommy takes the stage at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

With several albums under her belt and a dedicated fanbase, Tennessee native Soccer Mommy stopped by Portland's Crystal Ballroom as part of her tour for the latest installment in her catalog, Evergreen. With opening act Hana Vu as support, Soccer Mommy put on a masterclass of subtly dynamic and emotion-invoking alternative-pop with a hint of grungey abrasiveness. It was a night of live music seemingly built to attract and satisfy everyone, and was quite successful in doing just that.

Hana Vu

Hana Vu’s bashfulness should fool you not; the LA-based singer-songwriter’s voice on stage is a force beyond her seemingly mellow exterior. Performing a selection of tracks from her latest effort, titled Romanticism, Hana combines her pop sensibilities with a vocal prowess that evokes a shade of Florence + The Machine in its nature. The band added further depth to the set, cultivating rhythms that branched into fun, 80’s inspired guitar solos every so often. “Care,” the album’s lead single, bears a fantastic example of the satisfying progressions of her songs, complete with soft verses, a booming chorus, and a generous finish.

Hana Vu and her backing band had an effortlessly cool demeanor at Crystal Ballroom. (Photo by Trent Lowder) — Hana and her backing band had an effortlessly cool demeanor. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

A really tasteful and memorable opening set by Hana Vu for Soccer Mommy. At Crystal Ballroom in Portland (Photo by Trent Lowder) — A really tasteful and memorable opening set. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

Hana’s live versions of tracks departed slightly at times, introducing pop-grunge hybrids in place of the more acoustic, singer-songwriter atmosphere present in the studio recordings. Both versions are successful in their own right, but the decision to have fuzzier tones in concert was a smart one, as it subtly distinguished her from the night’s headliner.

The performance brought to mind an intrinsically cool band in a movie à la Freaky Friday, replacing the childish rebelliousness typically found therein with substance and more emotionally developed lyrics. Hana Vu’s sound is one that could fit seamlessly alongside many artists, so it was a real treat to hear her open up the night.

Soccer Mommy

Coming off 2024’s end-of-year album, Evergreen, the alternative-pop icon Soccer Mommy stopped at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom for a night of dreaminess. Her fresh sound lends to her seemingly perpetual air of being a “New Artist” but, believe it or not, Soccer Mommy’s catalog extends back nearly a decade now. Due to her longevity in the indie-pop sphere, she had loads of material to mix in with some tracks off the latest offering. This made for a wonderful pace of things, and though she occasionally conversed with the crowd, she seemed to more readily let the songwriting do the talking and storytelling.

Soccer Mommy's entrance immediately garnered excited applause from the crowd who were anxious to hear a night of her brand of bedroom pop. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

The whimsical and trippy stage design fit perfectly with Soccer Mommy's sound. At Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR. (Photo by Trent Lowder) — The whimsical and trippy stage design fit perfectly with Soccer Mommy's sound. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

She performed a decent variety of her material, covering ground on various past releases, almost as if to not let any fans of hers leave the venue hungry: performing songs like “Some Sunny Day” for the lovers in the crowd, next to tracks like “Shotgun” and “Abigail” for the movers and groovers, all before going back to the sullen well of songs like “Still Clean.” The set never felt even remotely repetitive.

Couple Soccer Mommy’s knack for creating–and subsequently performing–a little something for everyone with the psychedelic, soft and inviting, stage design, and it was remarkably easy for everyone in attendance to settle in quite easily. The stage was scattered with flowers and a looped projection of whimsical and slightly acid-rock sights behind her framed her silhouette, adequately matching the musical juxtapositions of Soccer Mommy. Her distinct pop-adjacent sound, variably refracting shades of grunge and noise rock. For a couple tracks, Soccer Mommy stood solo on stage with a single spotlight, drawing a far more intimate setting. This had an effect reminiscent of stumbling upon a wildly talented act at some dingy bar on a random weekday night. The visual and sonic cohesiveness of this set lent itself to a well-rounded product.

Soccer Mommy seemingly lost in the emotional performance. At Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR.(Photo by Trent Lowder) — Soccer Mommy seemingly lost in the emotional performance. (Photo by Trent Lowder)

Soccer Mommy’s bread and butter, though, is her breathy but assertive vocal ability. While instrumentation on her studio recordings typically lands on the cleaner, more balanced side, the live counterparts added satisfying feedback, contrasting nicely with her beautiful singing.

Perhaps the best moments of the night came in the last few tracks, when Soccer Mommy wrapped her entire bag of tricks in a neat package and put it on full display. “crawling in my skin” took its fun stringy riffs and created a repetitive loop that eventually snowballed into a grand avalanche of noise at its climax. “royal screw up” immediately scaled it back and hit those tender, heartstring-pulling feelings again. Finishing the main set with “Your Dog,” a crowd favorite, was a perfect move as it left the audience dancing fervently to what is essentially a pop song about boundaries, autonomy, and not taking anymore shit. The end of the performance really was indicative of her entire career thus far: she knows how to skillfully write a song, perform it in a way that people will resonate with, and keep her fans coming back for more each time.