At the New Parish in Oakland, Alex Giannascoli, better known by his stage name (Sandy) Alex G, managed to turn a sold out concert into what felt like an intimate house show. 

Alex’s music is eclectic to say the least. He draws inspiration across many genres and sources. Over the last decade he has released 8 albums. The first seven of these albums were all recorded with Alex’s Samson Q1U USB mic that he got as a teenager. On his most recent album, House of Sugar (2019), Alex caved and started using fancy technology. This time around he borrowed a mic from his friend and got the newer version of GarageBand. 

Jokes aside, (Sandy) Alex G. pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the constraints of being a lo-fi DIY indie artist. He shows that you don’t need an expensive recording studio to make good music.

House of Sugar is haunting and beautiful. Alex refuses to shy away from playing around with pitch shifts, delays, and synths. The music can seem erratic and even disjointed at times. At some moments there are so many sharp or uneven melodies occurring at the same time that you lose track of where you are in the song. Perhaps one of the most powerful instances of this is the album’s opening track, “Walk Away.” 

Despite its rough-around-the-edges style and inability to inhabit a singular genre, House of Sugar might be Sandy’s most complete and cohesive work yet. The entire album is supported by Alex’s ability to build a well-structured song, knack for melody construction, and lyrics that draw comparisons to singer/songwriter legends such as Elliot Smith.

It is these traits and the consistency in the multiplicity of Alex’s artistic voice that makes the album such a success.  

At the New Parish, the majority of the set was House of Sugar. However, the band didn’t really come alive until the encore. Before the final song it seemed like a performance, (Sandy) Alex G was working their jobs. However, after joking about the ridiculousness of the new norm of always playing an encore the band seemed to lighten up. The mood in the New Parish swung from a show to a jam session. 

The band was taking requests from the audience, joking around with each other, laughing, and in general, having a good time. At one point they had to stop playing because of what seemed like an audience member making faces at Alex and making him laugh. The banter peaked as Alex taught the drummer a new song on the spot. 

(Sandy) Alex G’s ability to have fun, make connections with the audience and engross themselves in the music made for a memorable concert experience. In addition, by virtue of taking requests, they played a strong mixture of big hits and deep cuts, with a spread of songs played across their discography. If there is a show near you, I recommend getting a ticket. 

Article and Photos by Mark Selden

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