Alex Warren – Civic Theatre: August 18, 2025 (13th Floor Concert Review)
Like many people, I was originally exposed to the talent of Alex Warren via Tiktok. Having heard the viral hits and watched many videos, I was more than eager to attend his first show down under, titled the Cheaper Than Therapy Global tour – which crashed the Frontier Touring website when tickets went on sale.
Alex has a dedicated fanbase (54 million monthly listeners on Spotify) but his live show exceeded expectations.
On a chilly Tamaki Makarau winter evening, excited fans packed into the Civic Theatre, buzzing and layering themselves in merch while we waited for things to kick off.
Cassie Henderson
Having recently opened for The Driver Era last year, the stage presence of Cassie Henderson flourished as a starter to the night. Covering her main hits like Seconds to Midnight and Whatever, she did remarkably well considering she only had a backing track to work with. Pulling the audience in with her quick wit and lively moves, her time on the stage felt fun, poppy and enthralling – her energy compelled people to start dancing.
Alex Warren
Alex set the tone from the second he burst onto the stage. Opening with his hit Burning Down (another viral Tiktok song), coloured confetti almost immediately streamed from the rafters of the theatre as people started singing along. Then he followed this with Before You Leave Me and Catch My Breath, serenading with guitars hand-painted by his wife Kouvr. (Kouvr did at one point wave from the wings, which sent the excitement present into overdrive).
In true Alex Warren fashion, he chatted with fans about his life experiences before launching into a trio of raw heartbreakers – Eternity, Yard Sale and You’ll Be Alright, Kid. In the moments between songs especially, he came across deadpan but simultaneously heartfelt, and by the end of that trio of songs, there wouldn’t have been a dry eye left in the house. In that moment, it was deceptively simple to understand why the tour is titled the way it is. The whole show felt like healing and group therapy – using music as catharsis.
From there, he delivered powerful anthemic energy with Bloodline and Can’t Stop This, featuring pulsing graphics and bass before leaning into the beautifully romantic songs that made him a household name – Save Me a Seat, Carry Me Home and the closer, Ordinary. It took the crowd from hyped and bopping to reflective and swaying with phone torches alight, really maximising the feeling of being able to lean into the emotion of the music.
But he also played what seemed to be an Auckland exclusive: Headlights live. It’s an earlier one from his career, released as a single in 2022. The crowd didn’t know the song as well, but it didn’t matter — he revealed it wasn’t even meant to be on the setlist until that morning, requested by a friend.
The whole show felt extremely put together – while it was full of stage effects, backing screens and tight visuals, it didn’t feel stiff or compressed in the way many concerts may have. He played to what felt like every member of the audience, chatting easily to the crowd – it felt less like a packed out theatre and more like an intimate experience. Alex stated his surprise at being able to fill a theatre so far from home. But after last night if one thing’s for sure, it’s clear he’s set for stadiums soon. And judging by this performance, he will still make those feel like home.
Chantal Janice
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Thiago Alencar:
Alex Warren:
Cassie Henderson:
