Laura Ogren Takes On Tacoma
March 26, 2025 - Tacoma, WA
For any artist in the Pacific Northwest, doing a show at a McMennamin’s location is a rite of passage. In Laura Ogren’s case, her performance at the Elks Temple’s Spanish Ballroom was not just her McMennamin’s debut, but her first headlining solo performance as a singer-songwriter. Prior to her taking the stage of the cozy ballroom, two artists also had their chance to shine. These, also Pacific Northwest-based, artists include singer-songwriter Sydney Dale and indie-pop rising superstar JUL!ET. Both artists have headlined their own shows previously, while also supporting other legends in the Washington indie and singer-songwriter scene.
Sydney Dale performs at her keyboard. Photo by Coeur d’Alene Press.
Part of the fun of McMennamin’s shows is exploring the venue beforehand. Many McMennamin’s locations feature restaurants attached to or inside the building with some even functioning as hotels. This is the case of Elks Temple, which is practically encased in elaborate whimsigoth theming throughout its entire lobby. Almost every inch of the lobby and foyer is covered in velvet or some other soft looking fabric, with dark jewel tones and astronomical prints plastered onto curtains, the backs of chairs, and rugs. It’s easy to get lost in the historical building, climbing down flights of stairs with old photographs glaring down at you while you try to find the venue.
The Spanish Ballroom is located towards the bottom of Elks Temple and is attached to a small bar and restaurant serving up burgers, brews, and most importantly, tiramisu. It’s from this bar, over a slice of the rich dessert, that I heard Sydney Dale’s set. Each song was separated by a quick anecdote by Dale, oftentimes about her writing process or the inspiration behind the piece. In a black and rainbow-sequined top that glittered like a disco ball, Dale’s attire was a stark contrast to the heartbreaking ballads she sang at her keyboard. While one could look at Dale and simply take her as yet another girl with an instrument, Dale’s vocals ripped out of her with a ferocious power. Her set was stripped back, as mentioned, simply her with her keyboard. Yet looking at her output on Spotify, it’s clear that Dale can just as easily stand out when backed by a full band and even fuller production. Regardless of whether Dale's performance that night with just her keyboard was an artistic choice, the lack of a band allowed Dale’s voice to ricochet across the high ceiling of the Spanish Ballroom for heartbreaking effect. The rawness of her lyrics combined with her vocal stylings made for a lovely set. You can see Sydney Dale at the Zephyr Folk Festival on Friday, June 6th at the Zephyr Lodge just outside of Spokane.
Some set up was required before Juliet Daniel, better known as JUL!ET, could take the stage. As the stage began to transition, the audience crowded back to the various tables set up in the ballroom or purchased drinks at the back of the bar. A merch table featuring items from all artists was set up to the side, with tank tops, baby tees, stickers, and tote bags among the available items. Ever the wallflower, I sat at one of the tables, though I remained close to the stage. The perfect distance to watch as JUL!ET’s band began to play the opening notes of her set.
JUL!ET strutted onto the Spanish Ballroom stage in a mustard yellow dress that looked more like a chic 60’s raincoat than a frock. All songs performed by her that night were accompanied by her live band, with Daniel herself switching to guitar during her third song. While JUL!ET’S vocal stylings and musical prowess are certainly impressive, the first thing you notice when watching her is her stage presence. Of the performers that night, JUL!ET seemed the most at home on stage. She’s also the most pop-leaning of the three singers genre wise, reflected in her Disney Channel original movie-esque poses. She easily bantered with the crowd the way you’d expect an artist to do at a show, with no awkward pauses for laughter and a lack of repetitive anecdotes. JUL!ET, of course, did share details about some of the tracks she performed that night with jokes about angst, heartbreak, and callouts to audience members. A remix of her song “2019 (how does it feel?)” is reportedly in production, per Daniel herself, with the creatives behind the remixed track in the audience that night.
But the highlight of the night was clearly “Nobody’s Fool.” Daniel wrote the track to highlight the double standard of working as a, quote “business-y lady,” when in a relationship with an insecure partner (man). Though the lyrics of the song are certainly catchy, JUL!ET’s performance at the Spanish Ballroom was successful because of her stage presence. Not only does Daniel effectively sell the lyrics to her various tracks, but the backing performance by her band gives the tracks an authentic grit that the single and album versions lack. These polished tracks are great, but the production features little electric flourishes that simply aren’t played live. In contrast, JUL!ET’s typical electric indie-pop leans more towards indie rock in a live setting and absolutely pumps up an audience. As mentioned, “Nobody’s Fool” was one of the best examples of this dynamic, though her renditions of “Must Be Perfect,” “Instant,” and “nice try!”, all off her album EGOMAN!A, deserve their own shoutouts. “nice try!” was JUL!ET’s closer, which effectively ended her set with a raucous dance party. Guitar riffs led JUL!ET offstage as the set was once again transformed, this time for Laura Ogren.
Close watchers of Seattle and Olympia’s indie music scene are sure to recognize not just Laura Ogren, but a few members of the backing band that supported her that night. One of these members is Chivan of the band WINEHOUSE, an alternative, somewhat soul inspired, pop music band that has performed up and down the sound. Ogren has done backing vocals for several WINEHOUSE tracks, and frequently collaborates not just with members of the band, but also Marina Wingender of jazz band Marina and the Moonbeams.
It’s always fun to see such a tight knit community gather around an artist both on and off the stage. Ogren clearly fits this bill, as a crowd of supporters quickly hoarded the stage the second she waltzed in from the wings to her band’s rendition of her latest single, “Tide.” Another entry into the “You’ll never find anyone as good as me” category of songs, “Tide” is much more laidback in its boasting with sleek vocals from Ogren and a rockin’ bass and drumline suitable for the song’s title. Ogren’s vocals easily sweep you away, just like the ocean, making her comparisons between herself and the tide all the more realistic.
But Ogren seems to thrive on stage when she gets to be herself. She was quick to point out that this was her first headlining show ever saying, “I don’t know how I booked this but-”. Despite this quick self-deprecating jab, Ogren easily slid into an impressive cover of Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” before pivoting to a few unreleased love songs. The first of these unreleased tracks is called “Pink,” which Ogren wrote about letting yourself fall in love despite how scary and tough it can be. Her next rendition echoes this sentiment, with Ogren quickly calling out the crowd. “Raise your hand if you have an avoidant attachment style! Just kidding, I’ll get you!” Though I was unable to figure out the name of this track, lyrics like “I don’t really wanna go” and “I wanna scream it out” make it clear that the narrator of the song is clearly caught in their feelings to put it simply. “Jericho,” yet another unreleased love song by Ogren, also features themes of confusion despite being in love.
Surprisingly the highlight performance of Ogren’s set was not one of her original songs, but a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” though Ogren made very clear that her take on the song was inspired by Lianne La Havas’ cover. The band ripped into the track, with Ogren’s voice soaring above it all. Ogren has compared herself to Lizzy McAlpine plenty of times on social media, but I believe this comparison to be more fitting for Dale. Ogren’s voice is too soulful for Lizzy McAlpine, with a power that is somehow free despite the control she has over her instrument. Laura Ogren showcased this expertly during the “Weird Fishes” cover during an ambient part of the track where she let her voice riff before the band came back in at full force.
Ogren closed out her set with her debut solo single, “Paralyzed.” Authentic with the crowd once again, she begged the audience not to ask for an encore. “Controversial take, I don’t believe in encores! I just think it’s funny. Maybe I’m just a hater, I don’t know.” And as the show ended, Ogren dancing her way off stage, I couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane.
I’ve known Laura Ogren personally since seventh grade, though I’d heard about her from mutual friends starting in fifth. Laura transferred to my middle school in arguably the worst year to do so and we quickly became friends once I mentioned these few friends. Alongside a ragtag group of other misfit girls, we themed our Instagram handles to each other. Seventh grade was a rough year for me, and I’m sure it was just as rough, if not more, for Laura. But despite the rampant angst that us twelve year old girls had, we were both able to relax in the choir room.
Laura Ogren has always had “It.” The big bad star power word that shoots up-and-comers to the very tippiest of tops. I’ve known that she’s had “It” since I saw her posting covers of Panic! At the Disco songs in front of her keyboard to her small, but dedicated, Instagram following in middle school. I saw it when she auditioned for choir solos. When she performed in school musicals. On stage at church. Laura may have been surprised that she booked the Spanish Ballroom for her first headlining show, or that she even got to headline a show at all, but I never was.
The beauty of local music, of your hometown’s music scene specifically, is seeing people chase their dreams. Plenty of people dream of starting a band or uploading music to SoundCloud, but not many people have the balls to actually go out and do it. Nevertheless, perform their songs in front of audiences of people who may have never heard of them before. Sydney Dale, JUL!ET, and Laura Ogren were likely all talented girls in choir or their musical theater programs. They all share a love for music. They all share a passion for singing. And they all had the drive to chase their dream. While each artist has their own ambitions, it’s clear that all three singer-songwriters that performed that stormy Wednesday night at the Spanish Ballroom are dedicated to their craft. It’s beautiful to see the people you’ve grown up with chase their dreams. If anything, it’s proof and inspiration that you can do the same. If music is meant to make people feel something, I’d say that inspiration is a pretty powerful feeling to put into the world.
Go investigate your hometown’s music scene and find your Sydney Dale, your JUL!ET, your Laura Ogren. You won’t regret it.
