LA In BK : A Night with Finneas in New York City
It was a star-studded night at the historic Warsaw in Brooklyn, NY, on Saturday as Finneas O'Connell, better known as FINNEAS, treated fans to what he referred to as "an admittedly short set" of songs from his new pop-rock album, For Crying Out Loud, released on October 4th.
Saturday’s show felt like peering into elite society, enhanced by the classical beauty of the theatre, built in 1914. Its high ceilings are draped with chandeliers, the walls have wooden detailing, and the bar is framed by hand-painted portraits of the Polish countryside.
Half-empty glasses of white wine decorated the stage like flickering candelabras, amplifying his chic aesthetic as FINNEAS indulged in the wink-wink, nod-nod relationship he’s cultivated with his audience.
After producing and co-writing 2018’s genre-bending, Grammy Award-winning album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? from his childhood bedroom with his sister Billie Eilish, FINNEAS has since become prolific in the music scene.
“Lonely” by Justin Bieber, “Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez, and “Beautiful Trip” by Kid Cudi are just some of the countless collaborations O'Connell has worked on. Later this week, he will join his sister on stage for three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, before they perform as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live
He is known for candid interviews, vocalizing political opinions, posting frequent Instagram memes, and often being seen with Hollywood socialites—all of which give fans an intimacy that musicians don’t always offer their audiences.
FINNEAS began the night by sharing an on-stage kiss with girlfriend Claudia Sulewski, met with an eruption of cheers from the crowd.
Sulewski is beloved by fans, many of whom were part of the 2 million YouTube followers the actress and influencer amassed before entering her relationship with the 10-time Grammy winner in 2018.
As she quickly exited the stage, she shared a moment with close friend, guitarist Ricky Gourmet, who fans recognize from his frequent appearances in social media posts by Sulewski, FINNEAS, and Eilish.
As FINNEAS’ smooth baritone voice began to echo through the venue, Sulewski was quietly escorted to watch the show from the upper terrace, joined by 3-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev, Marty Supreme actress Odessa A'zion, and other celebrities. Is this what LA is like all the time?
On her way, she scooted past a teetering chair on which a little boy, no more than 10, stood recording the set with an iPhone. Held steady by his dad’s hand on his back, his video swept over the diverse crowd of teens, 20-somethings, and beyond, as they swayed along to the sound of the guitar.
One group of high school girls, now pressed against the barricade, had waited at the entrance since 5:45 that morning. More casual fans had bought tickets that day, while others were taking the chance to see FINNEAS as an appetizer before watching him play alongside his sister at MSG.
One man, Al Kennedy, told me he was a longtime friend of parents Patrick and Maggie Baird O'Connell, having understudied as the Venticelli opposite Patrick on a tour of Amadeus in the '80s.
“Patrick and Maggie were both extraordinarily gifted, talented, hardworking—they had all the elements,” Kennedy said. “I’m not at all surprised that the kids did real well, although, who could imagine this well?”
FINNEAS and Gourmet, who frequently joke about their homoerotic tension on TikTok and Instagram, teased the crowd throughout the set—grabbing each other's shoulders, embracing, and swaying together as they performed.
“We said, ‘at the last show, we should kiss,’ and technically, this is the last show,” FINNEAS said nonchalantly toward the middle of the set.
The fans didn’t have to hold their breath for long as FINNEAS rose from his piano during a rendition of “‘Til Forever Falls Apart,” written with indie pop singer Ashe, to plant a passionate kiss on Gourmet’s lips during the song’s crescendo.
Video Footage captured by Quinn Maston
“I’m sorry, Claudia!” Gourmet mouthed, and then repeated into the mic.
The band played with casual but fun energy, as if they were just jamming with friends. The crowd sang along to “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night” and screamed when “2001” began.
“THE SHOW IS OVER. THE SHOW IS OVER,” belted from the walkie of a security guard in the crowd, confirming that there would be no encore.
But when the house lights came up and exposed the row of celebrities above the crowd, the audience erupted, chanting their names and taking out their phones—proof that they were in the same room as their idols.
As the crowd trickled out, fans beamed and held their heads high, as if they, too, were on that upper terrace.