Lauren Mayberry traveled to Portland, Oregon back in 2018 and played a show at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with her bandmates from Chvrches, who were touring the United States shortly after the release of their third record, “Love Is Dead.” And exactly five years to the day, Lauren returned to Portland, this time without her band, to perform a sold-out solo show in a much smaller setting at Mississippi Studios.

This was a unique show for a number of reasons, even once you look past the nostalgic anniversary of Chvrches playing in Portland. First of all, the material was completely unknown to the crowd, which Mayberry addressed early on, pointing out that most of the songs still aren’t available on any streaming platforms. You can stream an early single that she played, Are You Awake? from her upcoming solo record, but most of the set was a preview of what is expected to arrive on the rest of the album.

It was also a super short set on a small and intimate stage, but Mayberry found time to sneak in a cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” and also gave a nod to the Pacific Northwest music scene, covering Sleater-Kinney’s “Modern Girl” towards the end of her set. Given her own musical trajectory and Chvrches’ explosion in popularity, it’s unlikely that Mayberry will ever return to play Mississippi Studios again. So congrats to those who had the chance to catch the show at such a small venue this week.

All photos by Tom Pacyk (sushineburn.com)