Three-person electronic band Łaszewo (pronounced la-zay-woah) played an incredible show on Thursday in Cambridge at Sonia. The band’s energy was bubbly, fun and contagious, which was all the more impressive given that lead singer Keeva “Kiki” Bouley had recently fractured her ankle. Band members and producers Matt Ehrlich and Justin De La Fuente frequently hyped Bouley up, encouraging the crowd to chant “Kiki” and applauding Bouley’s ability to dance around while wearing a protective boot.
Łaszewo performed at the Sonia, a small and intimate live music venue. The crowd matched the band’s energy, filling the space with loud singing and small mosh pits. The audience seemed to mostly consist of people in their mid-twenties, mainly gathered in small friend groups. There were two larger groups of people at the very front of the crowd who sang along with every word and reached their hands out toward the band members — Bouley grasped their hands in return and smiled at the audience. Ehrlich and De La Fuente danced and mouthed the words in the background, further hyping up the crowd.
The band members’ chemistry was evident from the very start when they ran onstage smiling at each other. In between songs, there were sweet moments when one of them would share appreciation for the band or for each other. On stage, Bouley shared a story about her mental health, which received loud support from the crowd.
“I forgot who I was, basically, and I had to go home to London. … I called [Ehrlich and De La Fuente] and in my most dramatic fashion, I was like, ‘Go on without me. Find someone who can function,’” Bouley said. “They were like, ‘No. We want you and we’re gonna wait for you.’ They put their dreams and their careers on hold to wait for me. That kind of loyalty is precious and we’re a family.”
In her introduction to the next song, Bouley mentioned that she and the other band members would sing it when they used to live together. She then launched into a heartfelt solo performance of Dido’s “White Flag” (2003), with only a keyboard onstage for her to play. A soft spotlight shone on her and the crowd sang along, swaying and holding each other. The audience got lost in the song’s beautiful melody and Bouley’s smooth soprano.
The crowd was ready to scream their hearts out again after this little break in the action. The band played all of its classic numbers, including “U Taste Like Sundays” (2022), “Up in Flames” (2018) and “Fuck Your Sunshine” (2020). The crowd went absolutely crazy for “Colorado” (2022), a hit with a super catchy chorus. There were some pop songs mixed in the set as well, including a captivating mashup of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (2022) with an original Łaszewo song and a rendition of Destiny Child’s “Say My Name” (1999) that had the crowd jumping and screaming.
The three band members came to the merchandise table after the show to greet fans, take pictures and sign autographs. The band was warm and inviting; they seemed to genuinely care about their fans and made a real effort to form a connection with them. There was a considerable line for the meet-and-greet, yet the band took their time talking with each person individually.
As of today, Łaszewo has accumulated over 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 21,000 Instagram followers. The band is still up-and-coming, so there isn’t a lot of information about them online yet. Their artist description on Spotify simply says “we don’t know how to pronounce it either.” This phrase is also a tagline on some of their tour merch, which speaks to the band’s fun and goofy side. At the heart of Łaszewo is a trio of best friends who are bringing upbeat music and exhilarating performances with them on their tour. Don’t be surprised if you see Łaszewo gain popularity in the coming years; their music provides a soundtrack that encourages dancing, and the band members’ energy will have you falling in love with them instantly.
