REVIEW: Meghan Dowlen with True Blossom and Lashing: Live at The EARL - ATL
- Joe Chiarella
- Nov 4
- 3 min read
The Atlanta vocalist celebrates the release of her newest album, Dizzy Spell
As the audience watches her band take the stage, the lights dim, and a spotlight shines towards the back of the room. The audience jerks their heads around to see an illuminated Meghan Dowlen, carried through the crowd on the shoulders of two men in suits. It was clear that this was not just a concert, but a full-blown spectacle.
The night started with Lashing, a local genre bending band whose music I struggle to put a label on. It was parts synth pop, parts goth, with punk attitude, dancing, crawling around the floor among the audience, and guitar smashing, all under the moody red lights of The EARL. I loved every second of it, and there was a lot of buzz from the audience as well.
Following that was True Blossom, a pop band who only a year ago was at The EARL for their own album release show, with Meghan Dowlen providing support. Their smooth pop sound helped ground the audience after the chaotic music of Lashing and set the tone for what was to follow. Their music had dreamy vocals, funky bass lines, and chorus-laden guitars and synths that created a groove that was easy for the audience to get hooked into.
With the crowd properly warmed up, Dowlen made her grand entrance to kick off the grand event of the night. She's a natural entertainer and commanded the audience's attention from the instant the spotlight hit her. In the first half of the set, she hit the audience with some of her most powerful pop songs, including "New Shoes" and "Dizzy Spell," the title track from her album. A clear highlight was "Dizzy Spell," where her dancing on stage perfectly matched the beat of the song, where it sometimes felt like a record skipping and repeating. Dowlen's voice is powerful, and she uses it playfully, like an instrument, at times teasing us with her command and range. From my spot beside the stage, it was hard to tell if I was hearing her voice through the PA or projecting on its own from the stage.
Midway through the set, Dowlen left to trade her in leopard print for a black pantsuit and performed "Mothercycle" along with the band's guitarist (and the album's co-writer and co-producer), Chandler Kelley. Business time didn't last long, as she was quickly back to leopard print for a high energy second half that mixed songs from her previous album (like "Respectable" and "Fantasy") with newer songs. The buzz in the room after the show confirmed it, with fans recounting how many times they'd seen her, but the main takeaway was clear: while the album is fantastic, the full Meghan Dowlen experience is something that must be seen, felt, and heard live.
Thank you to Meghan Dowlen, True Blossom, Lashing, and The EARL for an incredible night of live music!
Please enjoy a gallery of highlights from the album release show below.
Meghan Dowlen's new album, Dizzy Spell is out now via DKA Records.
Article and photos by Joe Chiarella. Please credit @joe.takes.pictures or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
