For the past decade, Philadelphia singer-songwriter Alex G and Toronto guitar-pop group Alvvays have won over college kids and critics alike by putting a contemporary spin on the classic indie rock canon. With Alex G and Alvvays releasing arguably their best records yet in 2022 (“God Save the Animals” and “Blue Rev,” respectively), the co-headlining tour that stopped at the Leader Bank Pavilion Friday night had the air of a well-earned celebration.
Alex G performs at Leader Bank Pavilion.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe
First up was Alex G, who got his start as a home-recording internet native but has since grown into a formidable live act. His three-piece backing band, anchored by Tom Kelly’s pounding drums and accented with concise but memorable guitar leads from Samuel Acchione, brought some big-venue muscle to a songbook that often leans intimate and introspective. Switching between keyboard and guitar throughout the set, Alex G sang opening number “S.D.O.S.” through an eerie filter but mostly avoided the pitch-shifting effects that have become a signature tic of his. The teeth-gritting intensity with which he pushed his modest but ingratiating voice to its limits communicated an earnestness he then undercut with tongue-in-cheek banter about the unspeakable things the other night’s New York crowd had supposedly said about Boston.
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Alex G’s setlist balanced highlights from “God Save the Animals” with choice cuts from his back catalog. While older fan favorites like “After Ur Gone” and “Mary” showcased a mastery of ‘90s indie rock tropes, the newer songs were harder to pin down. The blaring synth intro of “Blessing” gave way to a whispered, Modest Mouse-style creep before roaring back halfway through the song, while the unhinged noise-rock of “Brick” and “Horse” felt beamed in from another concert entirely. Having thoroughly demonstrated his range, Alex G closed on a sincere note with “Miracles” and “Forgive,” whose heart-swelling melodies and direct pleas for love and mercy were the stuff of slow dances and mixtapes.
Singer Molly Rankin of Alvvays.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe
More than capably taking on the role of headliner for the evening, Alvvays sped through their 21-song set with minimal muss or fuss. The band delivered note-perfect renditions of every track from “Blue Rev,” with Alec O’Hanley and Molly Rankin’s chiming, fuzzed-out guitars and Kerri MacLellan’s melancholy synths combining in a dreamy haze. Rankin’s winsome vocals cut loud and clear through the mix as she sang about the perils of interpersonal entanglement, deftly toeing the line between jaded cynicism and starry-eyed romanticism.
In contrast to Alex G’s more eclectic approach, Alvvays stuck to a more homogeneous sound. If a song wasn’t peppy, up-tempo indie-pop, it was probably a slow, yearning ballad. Still, Rankin and O’Hanley’s gift for tune-smithing ensured that most songs had enough ear-grabbing hooks to differentiate them from their aesthetically similar brethren. The crowd showed just as much love for Alvvays as they had for Alex G, giving especially enthusiastic receptions to the twin jewels of the group’s pre-”Blue Rev” discography: the skeptical but sweet “Archie, Marry Me” and the achingly wistful “Dreams Tonite.”
The power trio Tanukichan opened with a batch of short, punchy shoegaze songs, subverting the genre’s inherent ethereality by playing with propulsive heaviness.
ALEX G AND ALVVAYS
With Tanukichan. At Leader Bank Pavilion, Friday