Arachnophile Billie Eilish Ignites Boston’s House of Blues

“If anyone here hates themselves, this song is for you,” Billie Eilish yelled to an adoring crowd before jumping into an upbeat version of her song “idontwannabeyouanymore.” The giant LED spider behind Eilish flashed red and blue as the 16-year old singer enchanted the audience with her eerie soprano vocals and energetic dance moves.

One of Apple Music’s Up Next Artists in 2017, Billie Eilish is a rising star. At only 16 years old, Eilish has had three songs chart on Billboard’s Hot 100. Her debut EP “Don’t Smile at Me” is comprised of nine songs written by Eilish and her brother in which Eilish showcases her powerful and haunting vocals. Live, Billie Eilish is just as impressive as she is in recordings. On Nov. 2, she performed a sold out show at Boston’s House of Blues as part of her “1 by 1” Tour. Following sets by her older brother Finneas O’Connell and hip-hop artist Childish Major, Eilish brought a lively performance to the 2,500 attendees.

It was obvious from the very beginning that Billie Eilish’s interests were centered around keeping the crowd’s attention every minute of her set. Opening her performance with a light show and the theme song from “American Horror Story” followed by her upbeat song “My Boy,” Billie Eilish kept the audience on its toes from the start. One of the most notable elements of Eilish’s performance was the dramatic ways in which she transitioned from song to song. Between every number, she made sure to keep the crowd engaged with flashing lights, instrumental solos, and intricate dancing. A ukulele cover of Drake’s song “Hotline Bling” opened the doors to “Party Favor” and remixes of the popular melodies from the Nintendo Mii Music and “It’s the Hard Knock Life“ from the movie “Annie” provided transitions into her songs “Bitches Broken Hearts” and “Watch” respectively.

Hardcore fans of Billie Eilish would have been able to pick out the subtle yet effective changes she made to her songs as she performed them live. From having the drum beat in “You Should See Me in a Crown” more prominent than the album version to making “Copycat” more guitar heavy, Eilish was able to make her songs easier to dance — or just jump around — to, and overall, they translated very well to a live setting. Along with the changes made to the various songs — and for a small venue — the sound mixing was nothing less than perfect. Not once were Eilish’s vocals overshadowed by the accompanying instruments, the bass was prominent but not overpowering, the guitars and ukulele used for a few numbers rang throughout the venue effortlessly, and the steady drum beats can be heard perfectly in the background of each song. While her vocals and ability to dance energetically around the stage never faltered, Eilish’s tendency to have the crowd sing the choruses of her songs for her left something to be desired in her performance. Although doing this created more audience engagement, at certain points, I felt as if I heard more singing from the audience than Eilish herself. Nonetheless, when Eilish did sing, her voice rang beautifully throughout the entire venue.

One of the most unique elements of the show was the massive LED spider that sat in the center of the stage. The spider’s legs formed arches under which Eilish’s accompanying guitarist/keyboardist — her brother Finneas — and drummer played on opposite sides of the stage. Hardcore fans of Billie Eilish would recognize the spider as a reference to the music video for her single “You Should See Me in a Crown” — where the name of the tour also comes from. Bright multicolored lights synchronized to the beat of each song helped make the show as visually appealing as it was auditory.

The moments in which Eilish’s performance were lackluster — like when she had the crowd sing for her — were overshadowed by her overall impressive ability to work a crowd, dance around a stage, and maintain strong vocals for nearly an hour and a half at only 16 years old. Eilish’s performance demonstrated that she is not only impressive in recordings but also live. When she finished what she said was going to be her last song of the night, “Bellyache,” Billie Eilish left the crowd wanting more. After the crowd chanted “Ocean Eyes” for what felt like forever, she came back for an encore made up of the ballad followed by a rock-heavy version of her song “Copycat.” In doing so, Eilish left the crowd feeling more than satisfied and ended the show on a high note. Every moment of Billie Eilish’s performance from the beginning to the very end proved that despite her young age, she is a powerful artist who will only rise from here on out.