Beyond The Stage Magazine
Beyond The Stage Magazine
The Aces perform onstage at August Hall in San Francisco.
Photos

PHOTOS: The Aces – San Francisco, CA – 11/15/21

Dana Jacobs

Alt-pop quarter The Aces brought their aptly named Under My Influence tour to August Hall in San Francisco last month for a positively intoxicating performance.

The group, hailing from Provo, Utah, has had years to perfect their onstage chemistry. Sisters Cristal and Alisa Ramirez have been performing since childhood, with McKenna Petty and Katie Henderson joining soon after. Their years-long friendship is evident onstage, where each member projects such genuine, infectious joy.

With slicked-back hair and a leather jacket straight out of The Outsiders, lead singer Cristal Ramirez was positively beaming as she joined the stage, before launching into the show. The Aces spoke little during their set, taking short breaks to express their gratitude to the audience but mainly preferring to allow their music to do the talking. The audience certainly didn’t mind the limited talking breaks. The entire floor shook with hundreds of fans singing in sync with the band during favorites like “Volcanic Love” and “Kelly”.

The band has evolved impressively since their tour supporting 5 Seconds of Summer thrust them into a wider spotlight in 2018. Where debut album When My Heart Felt Volcanic is breezy and light, The Aces’ have grown into their confidence with gritter, more biting sound, while maintaining the sonic lushness that has defined them. This was particularly evidenced by the band’s pre-show media, a dramatic, biting compilation of quotes about the struggles of performing as an all-women group.

“Don’t Freak” and “Stuck” were two of the night’s standouts. As one of the band’s singles, “Don’t Freak” has gained particular popularity with fans. Rolled out during Mental Health Awareness Month, the song details the difficulties of struggling with mental health as the narrator aptly wills herself to not freak. The final encore of the night was “Stuck,” one of the band’s most irresistible and dance-able numbers. The audience responded in kind, enthusiastically singing and dancing along with the band.

The band’s positively electric energy left fans–us especially–hoping that it won’t be another two years before we can see The Aces on tour again.

The Aces in San Francisco:
Dana Jacobs
djacobs@beyondthestagemagazine.com
Latest posts by Dana Jacobs (see all)

Dana Jacobs

Dana Jacobs has been a contributing photographer for Beyond the Stage since 2019. As a current physical therapy graduate student, photography is her preferred way to maintain sanity between classes and exams. When she's not studying or shooting a live show, Dana can be found listening to true crime podcasts and petting the nearest pup. Her favorite bands include Bastille, Panic! at the Disco, and The 1975.