BENEE Pulls Up and Shows Out at The Roxy Theatre
Words & photos by Greg Poblete
April 17, 2023 — Stella Rose Bennett, also known as BENEE, put on a show-stopping performance at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, April 17, 2023. Coming off of an electrifying set at her first-ever Coachella Festival appearance, BENEE brought tons of energy and fun crowd interactions with her exuberant and forward-thinking pop music.
Born and raised in New Zealand, BENEE grew up surrounded by music with her parents exposing her to artists such as Radiohead and Björk at a young age. The first instrument she learned was the guitar, then eventually picked up the saxophone in high school. This passion for music eventually led her to post covers on Soundcloud, garnering the attention of New Zealand producer, Josh Fountain, who she worked with on tracks “Tough Guy” and “Soaked.”
Her 2019 EP, Stella & Steve included her massive hit “Supalonley” featuring Gus Dapperton which skyrocketed on TiktTok, boosting her career and leading to a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. From here, Benee continued working on brilliant and colorful pop music collaborating with Lily Allen, Grimes, Kenny Beats, and Joji. BENEE’s latest single “Green Honda” is a refreshing, in-your-face banger that naturally highlights her vibrant personality through quirky lyricism and a fierce instrumental. If it’s one thing apparent about BENEE, it’s that she is destined for greatness.
The show at the Roxy demonstrates just how clear of a star BENEE is going to be. The second she walked on stage, the crowd was hooked as she grooved and jumped all around the legendary LA venue. Although the Roxy has a small capacity of only 500 people, the room was packed to the brim and there was not a single soul in the room who was not dancing around and moving to every tune. BENEE’s stage presence is second to none. She knows how to work a room and keep their attention throughout the entirety of her set. Even if there were people who were not familiar with her music or only knew the hits guaranteed came out of the show as a new fan.
Some of the most memorable moments at the show were when the crowd got absolutely hyped for her new single, “Green Honda,” previewing a new banger entitled “Sports Mode,” and having a fan join her on stage to sing “Night Garden.” Typically, when artists pass a mic to someone in the crowd, they usually are inaudible or screaming into the mic. But this fan knew that it was their moment to shine and absolutely crushed it. Their breath control was on point, their energy on stage was immaculate, and they matched Bakar’s recorded flow perfectly.
All in all, this Roxy performance demonstrates that BENEE is a force to be reckoned with and everyone should jump on the bandwagon before she blows up.
To keep up with all things BENEE and to see her at one of the festivals she will be performing at later this year, check out her website, and don’t forget to listen to BENEE’s latest single, “Green Honda,” available on all streaming platforms now!
