Concert Review: Little Lungs 031226

March 30th, 2026 by The Professor

By Sylvia Gredzinski (’27)

On March 12, I had the pleasure of attending Little Lungs‘ album release tour at the Ottobar, here in Baltimore. The show began at 8pm so my friend Eileen and I made sure to get there a little bit earlier so we didn’t miss anything. The first thing I noticed was how cool the venue was. I had never been to Ottobar, so walking in I was already excited. As soon as you walk in there is the main stage to your right, when you continue walking forward, to your right there is also a staircase that leads to the balcony where seating is offered to watch the bands play from above. Proceeding forward there is a big open space which people use to congregate since there is more seating, and a bar area, along with a photo booth which I was thrilled with. Obviously we made use of it since two photo strips were only $4, a pretty fantastic price in this day and age.

Morgan Gorgon, the first act started a little bit after 8pm. There were two members on stage, the lead singer who also played the electric guitar during the set and the second musician played a pedal steel guitar, which intrigued me from the start. If you do not know what a pedal steel guitar is, I highly recommend searching it up. The closest thing I could compare it to was a keyboard, but instead of keys, the table has two guitar necks and headstocks which the musician then glides their fingers on to produce a sound. The instrument sounds almost as if the guitar had an ability to sing. I do not know how well my description explains the instrument, so your best bet is searching up a video of how it is played to understand. Anyways, the band also has a third member, but unfortunately they fell ill and could not play the show. The band played six different songs, all had a similar vibe to them. They were softer, more emotional songs, which Eileen said kind of reminded her of Julia Jacklin. I enjoyed this group, they were on the softer side and definitely enjoyable if you enjoy music that is more mellow.

The second band up was Planette Automatic. They were absolutely fantastic. I had never heard of this band before but they ended up being one of the best sets of the night in my opinion. Just from the sound set up, when each member was checking to make sure their instrument sounded right, I knew it was going to be a good show. The band consists of four members Katie who is lead singer, as well as a guitarist, Adam on drums, Sam on bass, and Dan on guitar. All members are from Philly except for Dan who is local to Baltimore. They play music that is heavier indie rock, which really works with their performing style. Just from the way they perform and interact with each other you know that this band loves doing what they do, they definitely enjoy themselves on stage. Adam constantly had a smile on his face and was rocking it on the drums. Dan is a really amazing guitarist, he has unbelievable skill on the instrument. I feel like bass can often be overlooked but Sam did a great job and his sound really came through. Katie is a performer, she is meant to be up on center stage. She is also a poet, and at every show she reads out one of her poems. After hearing what she read to the crowd, I turned to Eileen to tell her that I do know how someone could arrange words in such a way for them to come out sounding like art. As for the music, it was really loud and it felt like my heart was vibrating in my chest. It was hard to not move during their set, I found myself jumping to the music almost instinctively. The musical transitions between each song were well thought out and one song blended into another seamlessly. I enjoyed every minute of this set and cheered as loud as I could after every song. Eileen and I had the chance to speak to some of the members after they played. Eileen started to fangirl a little bit, but ended up getting a CD from one of the band members. They were really pleasant to speak to and Katie even complimented my freshly dyed purple hair. If I had the chance I would absolutely go see Planette Automatic again. I can’t wait for them to play in the area again, because I will be there.

Next up was Caleb Holt. Caleb was the lead singer who also played the acoustic guitar. He was accompanied by three others, who were on percussion, the keyboard, and bass. This band seemed to have a little bit of a rough start as Caleb seemed to be having issues with the sound of his guitar, and slowly you could see he was getting frustrated. Regardless, the band played on. Initially, I thought the music was similar to that of Jack Johnsons, and then the vibe kind of shifted more towards a farmhouse vibe. I felt like his kind of music would be played on a farm, and Eileen agreed with me. Listening back on digital, it does not sound very similar as it did live. The music is still soft and mellow, but sounds like a soft indie rock. This group was not my favorite simply because the genre was not what I normally enjoy listening to, and the shift from Planette Automatic was quite drastic.

Finally, we have the main act – Little Lungs. Prior to the entirety of the show, right when we arrived at the venue, I introduced myself to Leena, the lead singer and guitarist, who had invited WLOY to the show. She was setting up the merch table so I didn’t want to distract her for too long but I got to wish her luck with the set. They are currently on their album release tour for “The Heat” and traveling with a few different other artists. With Leena, plays Brendan on bass, and Eli on drums. Little Lungs came on shortly after Caleb Holt, and if I am being honest, I was so entranced by this act that I did not get to take that many notes, but I guess that’s just a clue in and of itself on how their set played out. Leena’s voice is calming with a low, smoky tone, creating both a calming and emotional atmosphere. Her voice, paired with the reverbed guitar and subtle drumming gives their songs a dreamy feel. Their stage presence had no dramatic, flashy movements which I think was intentional in order to have the crowd pay more attention to the lyrics and the sound than anything else. I specifically noted their performance of their song “Dragonfruit”. I really liked the electronic components, mixed with the beachy sounding tune, and powerful vocals; it created a perfect mix that really stood out. For the last song of the show, the entire band left the stage to Leena, who was accompanied by Catherine Savage, and together they sang “Baby Blue”. I looked at Eileen after the performance and she had tears in her eyes. She said she loved it and was really glad I had invited her. After the show,we stayed back to talk to Leena once more, and congratulate her on the show and the album release; we even took a picture together. Being able to attend these shows is one of my favorite things about working at WLOY. I got to hear some great music and all of the performers I met were so kind and insightful. I got to experience seeing many small artists, in a really cool venue. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have gone to this show.