Live Review of Kiss The TigerMercury Lounge New York, NY

Contact: ava@girlieaction.comWeb: kissthetiger.com

Players: Meghan Kreidler, vocals; Michael Anderson, guitar, vocals; Alex Sandberg, lead guitar; Isabella Dawis, keys, vocals; Paul DeLong, bass; Alyse Emanuel, drums, vocals

Amidst the chaos on the Lower East Side, Minnesota’s Kiss the Tiger curated a memorable night at the Mercury Lounge. Celebrating the release of their newest album, Infinite Love, Kiss the Tiger embarked on a 10 date United States tour this September. Fronted by fierce vocalist Meghan Kreidler, the group has spent the better part of a decade sculpting themselves into the band they are today. From start to finish, they delivered a spirited and entertaining show, captivating the audience. 

Kiss the Tiger pulls influence from a wide breadth of music genres. Audience members could find strings of indie, rock, ska, math rock, ‘90s pop country, funk, and blues weaved in through guitar riffs and keyboard lines. In the Minneapolis scene, Kreidler earned her stripes as an actor. This shone through as she expertly flitted between tempos, genres, and intensity. A vocal powerhouse, big swings in “We Don’t Fight Anymore” sounded just as natural as the light and breezy melody in “I Wanna Love Ya.” She would go above and beyond, conveying emotions that were larger than life through screams, jumps, kicks, and high energy. It was impossible to take your eyes off of her. 

The variety in Kreidler’s vocal dynamics was echoed by the rest of the band. For a moment, they would lull the audience with a dreamy start, and in the next sudden heavy drums would kick off a visceral instrumental break. Despite occasionally changing on a dime, the music never got away from them. They moved through the tracks together as a unit, every member fitting seamlessly into the puzzle that is Kiss the Tiger. 

On stage, the band’s charisma won over the (albeit already eager) audience. Every member danced, jumped around, or engaged with the crowd from start to finish. Never once did the audience doubt that the band was having just as much fun as they were. Capitalizing on the intimacy of Mercury Lounge, Kreidler drew the audience in with personal anecdotes and behind the scenes stories about the songs. She would look out lovingly at the crowd during romantic tracks, as if she wrote it about each person there. Call and response was highly encouraged, with the group taking time to shout out some of their lyrics between tracks. 

Although they have wrapped on their 2025 tour, Infinite Love is now available for streaming. Hopefully they will continue to bring the energy in 2026, so be sure to check them out now. The post Live Review of Kiss The Tiger first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.