Gelli Haha — Roxy Theater — 3.25.26

Gelli Haha’s performance at the Roxy is not something you’d expect. It’s as if Stop Making Sense and Pee Wee’s Playhouse coalesced with disco-infused indie pop. It’s theatrical, fun, vulnerable, danceable, carnivalesque, and most of all memorable.

Angel Abaya (Gelli Haha) made the Roxy Theater stage feel bigger than it actually is. Her presence, along with her band and dancers’ playful choreography, enhanced by rich colors and props, made everything larger than life. The energy was palpable and porous. The dolphin-shaped balloons thrown to the crowd from the stage, tumbling back and forth, were a perfect material encapsulation of the communal energy travelling between audience and performers.

Performance isn’t easy, but a great performance shows a deeper truth. As the saying goes, energy doesn’t lie. It reveals.