Exploring Strongboi: A Vibrant Indie Concert Experience in Lisbon
On February 17, 2024, I attended a concert by the band Strongboi at the Musicbox in Lisbon.
Context: Strongboi is a collaboration between two close friends, Ziv Yamin and Alice Phoebe Lou. Alice is a 30-year-old South African singer and songwriter based in Berlin, where the friends also found their passion for the music project. Initially, they envisioned a lo-fi sound, using Casio keyboards and various toys to create music. Over time, the project evolved into a full band, blending lo-fi with indie pop and folk elements. This year marks their first tour, featuring a mix of disco dance tunes and jazzy ballads.
The concert was sold out and began at 10 pm. The Musicbox is situated under a bridge in Cais do Sodré. It accommodates up to 300 people and offers a bar, stage, wardrobe, and bathrooms. The band on stage was consisting of five men and one woman. The men wore special stage outfits, including cowboy hats, a pink wig, and oversized green sunglasses. Alice wore a simple baby tee and minimal makeup, contrasting with her bandmates’ attire. On stage, they had two basses, drums, a keyboard, and two microphones.
Rationale: As someone with a wide music taste, ranging from techno to rap, I decided to explore an indie concert for the first time. For the 26th birthday of a friend of mine, I wanted to gift him a ticket for a concert in Lisbon close to his actual birthday, so I did some online research and found out about Strongboi. After sampling some tracks on Spotify, I purchased tickets for us. I attended with no expectations and I found the experience enjoyable.
Analysis: The band’s melodies created a soothing atmosphere, prompting the crowd to dance along. Alice’s energetic stage presence, dancing with her arms raised in the air, combined with the lighting in the club created a visually appealing scene (Graphic 2). I also liked that the crowd was mostly Portuguese people who had an alternative clothing style, so it was nice being in another bubble than I am usually in.
Connection to the class: Reflecting on the concert, I recognized the collaborative effort behind the scenes, involving technical workers, bartenders, security personnel, and artists to deliver a seamless customer experience so they created a great service design. It was a positive customer experience, and everything worked well so I am willing to visit Musicbox again.
Alice’s engagement with the crowd and her colleagues demonstrated the engagement principles. She said for instance “Thank you Lisbon for coming and supporting us. I hope you enjoy the evening with a beer or water.”/“Do you want to hear an unreleased song? We were working on this one in Porto.”. She met the crowd where they are, built relationships, listened deeply to their band colleagues, and responded quickly to changing contexts on stage. That enhanced the overall enjoyment of the evening.
Inspired by the concert, I look forward to exploring more performances by unfamiliar artists in the future. Feel free to check Strongboi out:
