REVIEW: Ryan Beatty Shares Intimate Performance in LA
WRITTEN BY FAITH LUEVANOS
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Photo by Debi Del Grande
On July 28, fans crowded into a surprisingly warm room at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA to receive a sneak peek of what’s in store for Ryan Beatty’s upcoming September tour. His latest album, Sweet Fortune, arrived on June 26, marking a new chapter for Beatty as he steps into a softer era that’s soundtracked by gentle guitar, tender vocals, and a subtle country twang.
Beatty’s previous album, Calico, was one of my favorite albums of 2023. With an album as brilliantly written as that one, it’s hard to know if its successor will carry the same weight. Luckily for Beatty, his talent feels limitless, bolstered by an abundance of honesty and an impeccable knack for world-building. Sweet Fortune reveals a different side of Beatty, one that’s explorative while maintaining his familiar affinity for love songs and moments of understanding. At times, it feels like an extension of Calico, one that has only grown sweeter with time.
I first saw Beatty back in 2018 at The Fonda in LA, where the grand theater transformed into an intimate listening experience accompanied by captivating visuals. At the time, not many people were familiar with his Boy in Jeans album, so it felt exceptionally special to witness his evolution and growth in real time from Boy in Jeans to Sweet Fortune. In some ways, I’ve grown alongside Beatty, from seeing him for the first time as a 17-year-old to watching him now as a freshly turned 25-year-old. It meant the world to me to be able to share these milestones again with him, even from a distance.
For those unfamiliar with the Masonic Lodge, this one in LA is located in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where, upon parking on the cemetery’s winding roads, you can pay your respects to Hollywood greats like Mel Blanc on the way to the venue. (I’m a big Looney Tunes fan, can you tell?) The grass is green and lush, the headstones are polished, and peacocks waltz between the graves like wandering gifts of beauty paying their respects.
Once inside, the venue was warm, with dozens of chairs provided for guests as they eagerly awaited the hauntingly beautiful vocals that they’d been waiting hours to see. As the lights slightly dimmed, Ryan walked out with his two-person band, and the room erupted into cheers. As he sat down to perform, a hush fell over the crowd. Bouncing back and forth between Calico and Sweet Fortune, fans were in a trance as Beatty performed tracks like “Bruises Off The Peach” and “Delancey.” Each song took the reins and felt as if life couldn’t get any sweeter. I’m convinced Beatty is a siren of some sort.
As the show drew to a close, Beatty shared his gratitude with his fans, his nerves about performing, and the hope and eagerness he felt about this album being out in the world. The set was shorter, just about 30 minutes, but fans left feeling satisfied over the intimate moment they shared. This sold-out sneak peek was a rare opportunity, one that I was fortunate enough to experience.
If you have the chance to see Ryan Beatty, take it. You will not be disappointed, and you’ll leave his set feeling like you just held the longest embrace from the person you needed it from the most.