“FOUSHEÉ! FOUSHEÉ! FOUSHEÉ! FOUSHEÉ!”
Metallic confetti sprinkled the stage floor of the Echoplex in Los Angeles as Fousheé’s team rushed to hand her bouquets of white roses. The Pointy Heights tour officially concluded, and those who attended the finale on Monday night were in for a treat.
The night began in the basement-like venue everyone loved and hated, the Echoplex, filled with zealous voices and moving bodies. DJ Hu Dat was on duty to hype the crowd up, and not long after, there was a performance by Izzy Spears, an LA-based underground punk artist, to get people excited for the show to come.
Once it was time for the stage team to make changes, removing the makeshift DJ booth and replacing it with a wall of speakers, a playlist of reggae classics, like “Basement Party” by Rayvon & Mr. Foxx and “Head High” by Mr. Vegas, set the vibe for the night. The chattering grew louder as phones flooded the front with eager fans trying to catch a glimpse of the setlist. “I hope we get some special guests.” “Who do you think will be here?” If anyone knew about singer-songwriter Fousheé, they were aware of her growing reputation for great vibes and fantastic features—an underrated gem.
Fousheé graced the stage in a black leather two-piece, Coyote Ugly-style, with her blond hair swinging and a Fender Stratocaster in hand. She was a force to be reckoned with, showcasing a killer stage presence and a clear goal: to bridge the gap between the alternative and R&B scenes while honoring her Jamaican heritage and her late grandfather.
“Pointy Heights is dedicated to my grandfather Pointy, whom I never got to meet, but the legacy of him lives on through each one of you. Shout out to Osha; she actually came all the way here from Jamaica to be here. I’m a Jersey Girl but live here, so this is like the home show.” – Fousheé.
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As I was sardined in the corner of the left side of the stage between the house photo team and a few dozen eager fans, I watched as she moved the crowd with Tina Turner-level confidence. She sang, played the guitar, and danced, seamlessly combining a couple of amapiano dance moves with dancehall. She even crowd-surfed, which made for a great time. How was she not bigger? Songs like “Feels Like Home” had the essence of a classic, while “loversland” was incredibly fun. “100 Bux” felt like an anthem for alternative girls. The material was strong, and if I were a booker, she would be the type of artist I want to see shake-up alternative festival lineups.
During each brief intermission, an overhead voice played sound bites from various documentaries about reggae artists and their connections to the punk scene. This was a subtle nod to her roots and what she was about while also offering a history lesson for those who might not have been aware of the origins and influences of one of their favorite genres.
Just as I thought the night couldn’t get any better, Teezo Touchdown ran onto the stage with his signature flower bouquet mic to perform their song “Sweet” from his album How Do You Sleep At Night? and with Steve Lacy closing out the night with “Sunshine,” their duet from his album Gemini Rights.
I left the show highly impressed. I enjoyed her project Pointy Heights, before I saw her perform live, but I came away with a new appreciation for it. I hoped that, for her next project, she would lean more into her SKA and reggae background and mix them with her alternative punk persona. I know she would kill it.
Hu Dat, Izzy Spears, Teezo Touchdown, and Steve Lacy! Thank you, Fousheé, for a great show and a winning lineup to end the year.
Photos & Words by Asha Moné
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