REVIEW & Gallery: Gigi Perez at Boston’s House of Blues
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY CATHERINE KUBICK ☆
Photos By Campbell Parish
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC ALUM GIGI PEREZ RETURNS TO BOSTON, LIGHTING UP THE HOUSE OF BLUES WITH HER ALBUM AT THE BEACH IN EVERY LIFE. Known for her indie-pop hits “Sailor Song” and “Fable,” and fresh off opening for Hozier this past summer, Perez has already moved beyond being just another viral moment as she continues to establish herself as one of the most promising new voices in contemporary music.
“It’s so surreal to be here tonight— I’m blown away,” said Perez as she took the stage. It’s clear that Boston holds a special place in her heart; she spoke about how full-circle it felt to go from being an audience member dreaming of performing at the House of Blues to standing on the same stage where she once saw a formative FKA twigs concert during her time at Berklee.
The stage, lined with red poppies and centered with two doodled silhouettes from her album cover, mirrored the careful intimacy and authenticity Perez has cultivated in her music. At the Beach in Every Life is an album steeped in grief, loss, and a complicated relationship with faith largely inspired by the loss of her older sister, Celine.
Perez’s love and reverence for Celine could be felt from every corner of the space. From the onstage poppies symbolizing remembrance to a tender voicemail from her late sister echoing during her performance of “Fable,” Perez transformed the show into both a concert and a living tribute:
When I lifted her urn / Divinity says, "Destiny can't be earned or returned" / I feel when I question, my skin starts to burn / Why does my skin start to burn? / Ah-ah, capital loss / Love was the law and religion was taught, I'm not bought / Feel when we argue, our skin starts to rot / Our skin starts to rot.
Between songs, Perez’s banter with the audience was confident and refreshingly down-to-earth. When a fan shouted a request for “Glue,” she grinned, and obliged their request, saying, “I didn’t think I’d play this song tonight, but I’m up here with free will.” Watching her connect so genuinely with her fans underscored the rare reciprocity of her art.
Perez is undeniably a vocal powerhouse, balancing grit with grace. Her songs showcase a striking range, demonstrating an earthy lower belt paired with a soaring, siren-like vibrato. She brings a much needed bite to the indie-pop scene, cutting through a genre that’s often crowded with whispery and lilting ballads.
One of the most tender moments of the night came as Perez’s sister Isabelle joined her to perform “Sugar Water”, a song overflowing with imagery of young childhood and nostalgia—an aching ode to that universal human feeling of “wanting it back.”
The texture of our Barbiе's hair / The trampolines we flew mid-air / And Father scared me with a mask / I laid with you in the biggest grass / That stretched so far out, we could see / The sky was blue, our favorite tree / And we laid under, you made tea / Sugar water, you served me.
Perez closed out her set with a speech filled with immense gratitude,taking time to thank everyone—her band, her family, the venue staff, and even a group of Berklee students cheering from the balcony—a sweet moment echoing her younger self at that FKA twigs show just six years prior.
“It takes a village, and I’m thankful for every one of you who has made this possible,” she said, reflecting on how deeply Boston has shaped her growth as both an artist and a person. She left the crowd with a reminder that we all eventually find where we’re meant to be—a gentle validation for anyone wrestling with uncertainty or loneliness.
Perez brings remarkable grace and poetry to grief. The memory of her sister seems to follow her from stage to stage, a quiet but powerful presence that guides her voice and her art. The anger, confusion, and tenderness that come with loss, those feelings we often hesitate to name, she translates into song with fearless honesty. To love and to mourn so openly is its own kind of courage, and Perez wears it beautifully. Her music doesn’t just resonate, it reminds us to feel.
