One year on from the first time I saw Hannah Bahng live, the most striking thing is not just how much her show has grown, but how naturally she has grown into it.
From the start, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I heard outfit compliments fly around the room before the show had even started, which says a lot about the kind of community that Hannah is building. The crowd that seemed excited to be there for the community, as well as the music.
I was excited to hear lots of Paramore songs in the pre-show playlist. I didn’t know it yet but it was a hint of what was to come, considering the direction Hannah’s live sound is evolving in.
When she took to the stage, the difference from last year was immediately clear. The staging has had a noticeable upgrade, with raised platforms and the addition of “Zymmie,” Hannah’s mascot, floating above the stage in neon lights adding a playful visual identity to the set.
Musically, the show felt more confident and more defined than before. Hannah spoke about reworking her songs to have a stronger rock influence live, and it paid off. The arrangements felt fuller, more energetic, and intentionally different from their recorded versions, which is exactly what a live show should offer.
The setlist struck a strong balance between familiar favourites and new material. Ribs, which was performed unreleased last year, returned in its stripped-back form. Meanwhile, unreleased tracks like Malibu (a groovy, funk-leaning standout) and Over and Over hinted at an exciting new direction.
Orchid/Flame became a new personal favourite for me, though that might change the second Malibu officially drops. Pomegranate got one of the biggest reactions of the night, while I’m Me Again was easily my highlight of the show.
There were plenty of standout moments throughout the night. During Abysmal Hannah grabbed a drumstick to join in with drummer Puma, before gifting it to a fan in the crowd. Fan interaction is a core part of her shows. This includes a segment where she unboxed a Pop Mart Spongebob blind box and was very visibly and vocally disappointed with her pull!
The ‘Perfect Blue’ segment saw Hannah pick out someone from the crowd and bring them up on stage. Tonight, it was Rita, who enjoyed a Ru Paul’s Drag Race style diva-off with Hannah.
Hannah closed the show with Misunderstood, the tour’s titular track. It felt like the right choice as a strong, emotional end to the set.
More than anything, it’s important to note that what makes Hannah Bahng such a compelling live performer is how much she clearly loves being on stage. There is so much genuine joy in the way she performs. Nothing feels forced, and her energy is infectious.
In my review last year, I said “If you don’t know Hannah Bahng yet, now’s the time to hop on the train before it inevitably leaves the station at lightning speed.” And a year later, that still holds true, and now the train feels like it’s picking up serious speed.
