published in The Daily Californian on October 1, 2025
When I first stepped into Oakland’s Fox Theater, I was met with a beautiful, ornate art deco foyer — and of course, throngs of high schoolers who had just been dropped off by their parents. It was Tuesday, Sept. 23, and the Bay Area’s most dedicated Alex G fans flocked to Uptown Oakland for a sold out show — the first of two nights.
Alexander Giannascoli, better known as Alex G or formerly (Sandy) Alex G, has been an enduring figure on the indie rock scene for longer than some of his fans have been alive. Besides the high school crowd, his show drew in an eclectic mix of people: college students reminiscing on their prepubescent years, young professionals who made the transbay commute with their work backpacks and all and a few Gen Xers having a beer away from the bubble of teenage hormones.
Regardless of age, the entire venue was buzzing with a restless energy as we waited for Giannascoli to take the stage. People squared their shoulders and widened their stances as the venue began to fill, desperate to stake claims to the spots they had arrived early for.
It would be a disservice not to mention the show’s opener, Nilüfer Yanya. Backed by a four-piece band, Yanya’s haunting, warbling vocals are reminiscent of an early Florence Welch, with “Call It Love” serving as a standout in her six-song set.
After Yanya and her band had gotten the crowd warmed up, Giannascoli’s crew took the stage to set up. At the right side of the stage, a fortress of scaffolding was wrapped in Christmas lights that flickered on to the whoops of the crowd. The sea of people stuffed in the venue began to get antsy, leaning against railings and peering over one another’s shoulders. Before long, Giannascoli’s lanky frame ambled onto the stage, followed by his band. Dressed in a simple black button-down and slacks, he looked far from the Alex of years past, fresh-faced and unsure. This was a man who was sure of himself and his music, and carried the easy content that came with that.
To say that the Alex G show had the perfect setlist is an understatement. Following the release of his 10th studio album, Headlights, one would think the set would find itself within the constraints of that record. But Giannascoli made sure to show some love to his past releases too, from “Runner,” the lead single off his last album, to a performance of 2019’s “Southern Sky” that would bring a tear to anyone’s eye.
The show started off with the tried and true blended with a few newer tracks off of Headlights — the drunken members of the audience swayed and spun to “Louisiana,” while the entire crowd sang along to “Gretel.” One of the most beautiful moments of the show was his performance of “Is It Still You In There?” For once, there wasn’t a peep in the venue as everyone gazed wide-eyed and in awe at the jazz interlude.
For the most part, the show was mellow — but what really got the crowd going was “Bounce Boy.” At the first guitar strums, the entire audience was pushed forward by a swell of the tallest men ever seen, who practically spawned out of nowhere to mob into the pit. With the rest of the venue gazing at the thrashing limbs of those on the floor (and the guy they’d lifted up to crowdsurf), the Fox was filled with laughs, shouts and the high energy of the track.
Giannascoli, for the most part, seemed pretty reserved. And the most he talked all night? A tangent on his probable favorite holiday — Halloween. Like his music, the man is eclectic and slightly all over the place, but in a good way. For many, Alex G is the soundtrack of all the hopes, dreams and heartbreaks of adolescence. His show was the culmination of years of waiting for many, and as we all filtered out of the Fox, the consensus was clear: Alex G puts on one hell of a show.
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