REVIEW: BETWEEN FRIENDS at Theatre of Living Arts
WRITTEN BY: Aya Soussi
PHOTOS BY: Aya Soussi
This past Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, I knew I had to take advantage of my no-class Fridays by seeing my 5th most-played artist of all time on Spotify for the second time in concert, BETWEEN FRIENDS. Following their second album, “WOW!,” dropping in August, the indie duo consisting of Miami-born siblings Brandon and Savannah Hudson embarked on their “WOW! TOUR!” and made a stop in South Philly, so I obviously had to arrive early to claim my spot in the very front row.
You may have heard bits and pieces of their hits “affection” and “iloveyou”, but as a diehard fan for around three years, I will die on the hill of them being the most underrated musical group in the business right now, and that every single project is worth checking out. They digressed from their usual indie rock sound seen in their last album, “I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy,” into more of an EDM/electro pop sound on “WOW!”
To me, this proved that the siblings can truly take on any genre their hearts resonate with because they’ll twist, turn, and embrace the sounds in their own way.
The setlist included every song from “WOW!”, three tracks from “we just need some time together” (including “blushing!” as a surprise song), three tracks from “I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy”, and even a song from “garage sale.” I knew that when I saw a warning for strobe lights that the audience was going to be in for a treat.
The duo strutted onto the stage, with Savannah wearing a bluelight, neon reflective leotard with bedazzled kitten heels and Brandon wearing a joke sleeveless tank that said “Wrestling is Real.” Strobe lights, lasers, and flashing rainbow sunset lamps appeared the moment the first track, “You and Me Time,” began.
From there, they played the next two songs on the album before taking a break to do some crowd work. When they introduced themselves, they said “what’s up” to the city of Philadelphia, and followed it with something that stuck with me:
“Welcome to the ‘WOW!’ tour, where your wildest dreams will come true.”
It was from here on there where I felt a sense of belonging. This was a concert where I knew every word of the setlist without thinking about it and danced my heart out with the strangers around me. I immersed myself in the “WOW!” experience they were hoping to infect the audience with. And man, did they deliver.
I know I should have paid equal attention to the two of them, but my eyes were glued to Savannah’s interpretive dances while her body danced and swayed across the rainbow-lighted stage smoothly as butter. There was even a time when we made eye contact, and she didn’t break it for five seconds while continuing to sing. She was the magician, and I was her subject.
I would say the track that truly reeled all the audience members in was “JAM !” This is the track that both Brandon and Savannah claimed to be their favorite song to perform. After experiencing it, I can understand why. The quick EDM beats, mixed with the vibrantly colored flashing lights, and the catchy, sped-up hook “Replay me, that’s my baby” playing on a loop, was the invitation for everyone to dance and jump.
The part that really blew me away, though, was the “technical difficulties” that happened right before the song ended. Before the last chorus, the song was abruptly cut off, and the screen behind them depicted a staticky background.
Brandon and Savannah ran off the stage in confusion, and after a minute or two, the screen lit back up to them backstage, pointing and laughing at us, revealing that it was a sham. Savannah playfully did some pushups, and the two returned to the stage to play the song from the beginning once more.
I literally remember saying, “These people are geniuses” to the girl next to me. Everyone was now a part of the “WOW!” life.
Now, days later, I still feel post-concert depression. I didn’t know seeing them in concert yet again would be better than the last time. BETWEEN FRIENDS, you guys are national treasures.
