Their hit song may be called “Hater’s Anthem,” but don’t be fooled – Infinity Song is a band defined by love: for their craft, each other, and their audience. Never was this more true than at their performance at The Troubadour, taking place on the second night of their North American tour.
The soft rock band comprises four siblings, Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo Boyd, who were raised on a hearty diet of classical, gospel, and jazz music (think Pat Methany, Marvin Gaye, and The Winans Family) by their chorister parents, who founded the Boys & Girls Choirs of Detroit. Having performed to audiences since Pre-K, it’s no surprise that they are absolute naturals on stage, exuding infectious warmth and wit.
Right before the show began, I glanced around the audience, taking in its demographic. There were significantly more Black people in the crowd than your average Troubadour indie rock gig, which speaks volumes about the importance of representation. It’s no secret that Black artists are often boxed into or excluded from certain genres, with indie rock being one of the latter. Infinity Song’s mainstream success therefore challenges these boundaries, paving the way to making indie rock a more inclusive space. As Momo said in an interview with BET, “It really strikes a chord with my heart when I see Black people – Black teenagers or older Black people of any age – message us and say that this is something that they’ve been looking for and that they have not seen until now. I feel very successful when all people message us with those sentiments but it just hits harder when somebody who looks like my 15-year-old self says that because I think I would’ve needed somebody like me when I was 15.”
Introducing the band, their father and manager, John Boyd, walked onstage: “I don’t usually come onstage, but this is such a monumentous occasion that I had to come out here say: these are my children.” One could only imagine the pride that a father must feel in seeing four of their children headline at the Troubadour. Encouraging the audience to “reach those heights and never give up,” Boyd thanked the audience, and made way for Infinity Song to take the stage.
The set opened with one of the band’s earlier songs, “Mad Love,” a feel-good gospel-inspired anthem about familial love, aptly setting the atmosphere for the concert: “I got mad love for ya brother / You been with me from the start / I’ve got mad love for you sister / You got a piece of my heart.” This was followed by “No One Comes Close,” a soulful, sincere love song performed by Abraham, with the other three siblings singing/playing backup. This was the first of numerous solo moments during the concert, where each of the band members took turns being in the spotlight. While the audience was mesmerized at the end of Abraham’s performance, his siblings were unphased – this high level of musicianship was just the quotidian for the Boyds. Instead of congratulating Abraham, Israel teased him in a way that only siblings can: “He’s sweating! It’s only the second song!”
They followed with a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s hit “Dreams,” a song which – if it wasn’t so famous already – would easily come off as an Infinity Song original. The band’s melifluous vocals and stripped acoustic instrumentals produce a rich, soothing soundscape that arguably rivals Fleetwood Mac’s original.
The concert was absolutely stellar overall, with a few particular highlights. The first was “Pink Sky,” which was elevated multiple levels higher from its studio version: firstly, with a fuller-fleshed instrumental from its backing band, and secondly, with a dance-off break led by Israel. Challenging his siblings to show their dancing chops one-by-one (ultimately to prove himself as the top dancer of the group), Israel demonstrated his crowdwork prowess, engaging the crowd with a sense of childlike joy and off-the-cuff humor. As each of the siblings went up to dance, it was an opportunity to see their personalities shine outside of singing, enhancing their personal connection with the audience. Post-dance-break, they finished the song off with a euphoric outro that I wished I could bottle and experience on repeat.
The second highlight was “Slow Burn” (one of Infinity Song’s best songs yet), made even better in live performance with a new arrangement that the band had “never tried before.” A bittersweet, profound ballad about enduring hardship, featuring a extended solo from Angel, “Slow Burn” stayed true to its name, holding each audience member spellbound until the very last note of the song. It’s an instant classic that I can’t wait to see them perform at a larger scale on future tours.
A third highlight – not regarding any one song – was Israel’s incredible guitar solos, a feature that has yet to be included on studio recordings. I hope we get to hear more of Israel’s guitar chops on Infinity Song’s studio discography in the future, as it adds an entirely new dimension to their music with even more substance to sink our teeth into.
A final highlight, of course, was a thunderous rendition of the band’s hit song, “Hater’s Anthem” which Israel encouraged the audience to recite “word-for-word, bar-for-bar.” Although its lyrics sound spiteful at first listen – “I love the way it feels to be a hater / Something so sweet about thinking that I’m better” – the song is actually heavily satirical, poking fun at those who criticize others without making any efforts of their own. Complete with a second dance break, this time involving the audience, Infinity Song’s live performance of “Hater’s Anthem” filled the room with anything but hate; this was the most joy I had seen in a single place for a long time. Indeed, it seems that Infinity Song knows the exact power they possess, with Abraham saying, “Next time we come to LA, it’s gonna be a little bit different… let’s just say that.”
As the concert closed, Angel delivered a touching farewell message to the audience: “Our lyrics are written with you in mind. We don’t stand on this stage to sing above you, we stand on this stage to sing for you – for whatever background, for whatever walk of life, that’s what Infinity Song is about.”
Take a listen to Infinity Song’s latest album, Metamorphosis Complete, here:
