Concert Review: Whitney with Prewn at the Lodge Room, Los Angeles, CA

5/5

Chicago indie-rock duo Whitney, led by Julien Ehrlich (drums, vocals) and Max Kakacek (guitar), returned to Los Angeles on the heels of their fourth studio album, Small Talk, self-produced and released November 7, 2025. The band played back-to-back sold-out nights at the Lodge Room, bringing their distinctly restrained, nostalgia-soaked sound into a room that felt built for it.

Opening the night was local act Prewn, who drew the crowd in like a swell–by the end of their set, the space had filled wall to wall. The mind behind Prewn, Izzy Hagerup, carried an unforced intimacy that felt immediate and unpolished in the best way. The set leaned into hazy guitars and loosely structured songs as if taken to someone’s internal world. There’s a balance in Prewn’s sound–soft but not passive, scrappy but intentional–that landed with confidence and presence. As a first time listener, it left a distinct impression that had me diving into their catalog after the show.

While Prewn’s music offered a more DIY, indie-rock sound, it also offered ambience which made the transition into Whitney’s set feel seamless. Whitney live built a cohesive atmosphere layered with pedal steel, horns, and Kakacek’s fluid guitar, anchored by Ehrlich’s steady, deceptively intricate drumming. Ehrlich’s falsetto sat lightly over it all, never pushing, which gave the songs a sense of ease while still holding emotional weight. 

What stood out most in Whitney’s performance was their restraint. The band rarely broke the tone they established, instead letting the set move at a consistent, unhurried pace. This created a suspended feeling, like time flattening out rather than building toward peaks. That approach culminated at the end of their set with “No Woman,” where Ehrlich took creative liberty by turning dreamy-trance into a dynamic drum-led piece, all without breaking the band's core atmosphere. As a whole the performance captured a grounding warmth and yearning that defines their music.

Together, Prewn and Whitney made for a night of tone, texture, and resolve–two artists that approach intimacy from different angles, while meeting at the same emotional register.