When London band The Last Dinner Party kicked off their set with “Agnus Dei,” the first track off their latest album during their May 22 show, the Showbox SoDo erupted. It wasn’t the kind of reaction I’d expected—it was as though everyone there was cheering for a close friend on stage. Most of the crowd knew every lyric to every song, and nearly the entire building sang along to the choruses of The Last Dinner Party’s bigger hits. 

The Last Dinner Party is currently embarking on the second half of their U.S. tour alongside opener Automatic, a Los Angeles-based post-punk trio who performed songs off their latest album, Is It Now? 

Comprised of vocalist Abigail Morris, guitarist Lizzie Mayland, instrumentalist Emily Roberts, bassist Georgia Davies and keyboardist Aurora Nishevci, The Last Dinner Party knows how to put on a show. May 22, they were joined by bassist Max Lilley, who stood in for Davies due to a back injury, and drummer Luca Caruso, who regularly joins the band for live performances. Haunting three- and four-part harmonies combine with gorgeous instrumentals to create an immersive sound that reaches every inch of your auditory cortex. 

The band’s two albums, Prelude to Ecstasy and From the Pyre, are solid additions to most playlists—they evoke Florence and the Machine with their baroque-pop sound and Fiona Apple with their lyricism. The studio versions of their work, however, pale in comparison to what’s performed onstage. 

Live performances are where The Last Dinner Party truly shines. When their music is stripped down and free of post-production, it becomes abundantly clear that their work was never meant to be confined to your headphones. Their live performances utilize instruments that aren’t used in studio recordings, particularly the mandolin and flute (played by Roberts) during pieces like “Portrait of a Dead Girl,” and vocal harmony in pieces like “Gjuha.”  

“Gjuha,” which explores Nishevci’s feelings of guilt over not knowing her mother tongue, Albanian, was the highlight of my night. It’s unlike anything else on The Last Dinner Party’s discography—it’s simpler and more evocative than the rest of Prelude to Ecstasy. It highlighted Roberts’ mandolin and Nishevci’s voice, both of which are often overlooked in favor of Morris’ spotlight-worthy personality. 

Morris, to her credit, is a pleasure to watch on stage. Her range (F3 to A5, by my measure) and personality alone make her a standout vocalist, but her stage presence elevates her performance beyond normal standards. She flits around stage dressed as though she stepped off a Vivienne Westwood runway, microphone and guitar in hand. 

Morris isn’t the only star of The Last Dinner Party’s show. Her bandmates’ voices contribute a depth to their songs that, again, are difficult to hear in studio recordings. Nishevci, Roberts and Mayland add complexity to every piece with vocal harmonies and vibrant instrumentalism. 

The ambiance The Last Dinner Party is able to create is their biggest strength. They’re undeniably talented musicians, but that’s not unique; what makes them stand out is the way they connect with their audience. 

By far the best-received song of the night was “Big Dog,” the band’s latest single and final performance. Despite being released less than two weeks before the concert, audience members swayed and sang along to every word. The Last Dinner Party performed with raw earnest and relentless energy, making every listener a part of their spectacle.