By this point, it’s no surprise that I really, really love New New Girlfriend, especially when I get to experience them performing live. When they announced that they would be playing in a mall…yes a mall in Westminster, CA (The aptly named Westminster Mall) you better believe I was going to be there. The event this weekend was the Weebfest Anime Market. A little slice of convention at…a…mall. It’s random, but any excuse to watch New New Girlfriend is a great event to me.

And boy did Griffin and Kylen bring their A-game. I’ve seen them six times at this point, and this show had them at their absolute best. They were cracking jokes, and playing around with the crowd. It was so much fun to see. Their energy was equally matched by the crowd. People were dancing, clapping, cheering and holding up their phones like lighters. Definitely the sort of crowd that every musician wants to play to.

They played through their typical fare, starting with Things That Go Without Saying to get the blood pumping. Then moving through Their Early Stuff with Customize “A song about an article of clothing” — Cardigan, of course and Got Enough. Then we get into Hidden/Time Machine which will never not be a favorite of mine. The live version of Hidden is peak. Then we get “A sad song” with Let it Mend.

Their setlist is very well-crafted. Keeping the energy up when its needed, then easing us into the slower and sadder songs, and pulling us right back into the high energy. It’s a beautiful mix that kept the show moving super smoothly. They continued to play all of their usual songs including Not Just Anyone, Save the Date, Anything and UH-OH. The new addition this time, which was incredibly exciting, was the live premiere of I Haven’t Forgotten. This live version had a special outro sung by Griffin that was really something amazing.

Their final song was Over Over You, but that wasn’t the end of the set. No, they had another special outro. The end of the show shebang (as I’m calling it, since as far as I know, it has no name). Is super beautiful. Everything that we love about New New Girlfriend. Melodic guitars, jaw-dropping harmonies, and smiles. So many smiles. Is this a preview of a new song, or something that’s the perfect close to an amazing show? Only time will tell.

Though not everyone knew the words (though there were a few of us scattered throughout!!) everyone was really enjoying themselves. The smiles on the crowd matched the smiles from the band, and I heard people talking about how much fun they had after the show.

Was it a bit of a strange set up? Sure. No one really expects a band to play in a dying mall. But maybe if more bands played, the malls wouldn’t be dying? Who knows. All that I know is that I love New New Girlfriend and they get better and better every time I see them.