Written by Lorenzo dela Cruz | June 26, 2025

photos by Lorenzo dela Cruz taken with the BUZZKILL Tour

"Shake it for Lyn!" someone exclaimed from the back of the crowd at her sold-out show at the historic Antone's Nightclub, causing laughs and giggles from the audience. "I didn't really hear you, but yeahhhhh!!" Lyn replied. The audience burst out into full laughter. Whether Lyn actually heard what he said will have to stay a mystery, but this lighthearted charisma coming from Lyn emanated throughout the night.

The night opened with Sabrina Sterling bringing herself, her red heels, and her guitar to centerstage. Fans were treated to her soft, intimate acoustic ballads centered around her personal relationships with past lovers, family members, and the journey navigating the space as a young artist, the stories she would briefly share before each song. Sabrina delivered on her promise on an Instagram Reel posted before the show and gave a glimpse into her upcoming work with an unreleased song.

A highlight of her opening act was during her performance of "Bittersweet," in which a group in the center of the crowd suddenly pulled out their phone flashlights, modified to emit the color red, and swayed them back and forth for all to see. Others began to join in and the flashlight sea was formed. "Guys, f*ck!" she exclaimed as she struggled to hold back tears and continue playing. Sabrina's intimate and vocally beautiful set was a wonderful intro into the night ahead.

As the crowd awaited Lyn's arrival, I noticed a diverse crowd in attendance, from kids and teens with their parents to middle-aged couples on a date night; it didn't matter who you were, everyone was here to see Lyn. Groups of friends chatted, took photos, and crowded like sardines in the front of the stage, many donning either articles of red clothing (which was lowkey the uniform for the night), or Lyn's own tour merch, which we will revisit later.

The air shifted, the lights dimmed, and tube lights scattered strategically around the stage began to glow. It was go time. Lyn's bandmates — Kayla Ramilliano on bass, Jacqueline Kim on guitar, and Tyler Nam on drums — made their appearance. The crowd roared with anticipation. Finally, Lyn made her way to center stage. Fans were euphoric, and the energy was contagious as Lapid traded time interacting with fans to her left and right.

During a break in the action, Lapid talked about actually performing years ago as an opener there at Antone's, and it being surreal to now be able to host a sold-out headliner show in that same spot. Lyn went directly into "east side," a clear crowd favorite as fans swayed their arms left and right throughout. While most of her setlist featured tracks from her recent debut album BUZZKILL, fans were still treated to older classics like "poster boy" and "the alternative." Before going into a section of the show featuring only herself and Kim, she introduced "Room For You" and explained its origins with fellow Filipino artist grentperez, during which two fans held up a sign saying "LYN LAPID 🫶 - In my Mind?" Lyn went through her exposition without acknowledging the sign, with fans near me noticing and saying, "Dudeee, I think she's ignoring them." This was not the case, because soon after she turned to the two holding the sign and said, "Guys… later." The two giggled together in excitement.

Lyn's performance of "Room For You" and subsequent cover of "Love Like You" from Steven Universe were a personal favorite, showcasing Lapid's deep range and powerful vocals. I personally always knew she was an amazing vocalist, but her live vocals were insane to say the least.

Two other moments stood out to me, the first being the performance of "poster boy," where unlike other stops on the tour, Lyn picked a young girl in the front that she had met at the VIP meet and greet beforehand. Her name was Madeline, and just for her, Lyn modified the song to "poster girl." Her parents recorded the whole exchange and song. It was sweet. The second moment was when Lyn talked about her merch, saying, "Guys, every time I look at my merch, I'm reminded about my dog, and that he's alive. Guys, I miss him so much! I wish I could show him to you but I don't have the merch with me so…" Suddenly, Ariana Grande's "Into You" faded in. Lyn, in an Oscar-level performance exclaimed, "Wait do you hear that guys? What's going on???" Suddenly, Sabrina and another girl rushed onto stage, all runway-like, donning the elusive merch. They made a few rounds to the left and right, and concluded their cameo with Sabrina throwing a hat into the crowd. This was the peak comedy I was expecting from the night from a fellow Filipino.

The night concluded with an encore of "Buzzkill" and the previously requested "In My Mind," bringing the fun, funny, and beautiful night to an end.

As of the release of this article, Lapid's tour has two more stops, one in San Diego, and one in Los Angeles. If you have an inkling urge to go and witness her set live, I suggest you do it before it's too late!