EL REY THEATRE — LOS ANGELES, CA

On Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, Leith Ross came to Los Angeles for a stop on the I CAN SEE THE FUTURE TOUR. The songs in Ross’ discography have the ability to transform a venue as large as the El Rey Theatre into what feels like an intimate space to share the experience of live music.

The two opening sets showed off the talents of three incredible artists. Noa Jamir brought an ethereal presence with her electric guitar, while Olivia Barton and Annika Bennett, the two artists collaborating under the name Whale Songz, displayed the power their friendship brought to the joint project.

No greater sense of community could be developed than how Leith began their set, first inviting members of Water Drop LA to take the stage and describe their work. An organization with the initiative of getting clean water to those most in need. With a booth set up in the venue to encourage involvement, education, and donations.

Ross played the entirety of their sophomore album, I Can See The Future, along with some of their most popular songs from prior releases. The themes and messages within I Can See The Future played an important role in not only the performance of every song, but the overall atmosphere of the show. “Home,” a particularly devastating track filled with lines of self-doubt, ends with a series of lines that change the questioning repetition of finding home to the affirmative. This hopeful message was supported by a fan’s gift to Leith, a flag with the words “you are home” and the image of a trans flag.

They bathed the stage in a shower of red lighting and slowed the tempo down with jazzy love songs like “What My Love Is For” and “What Are You Thinking About.” Before the latter, Leith transported us to a nostalgic memory of their parents slow dancing in the kitchen to Norah Jones, which served as inspiration for the track.

The humanity of relationships and the inevitable forms of grief we face were also prominent themes throughout the night. Ross performed both versions of their song “Greiving.” Beginning with the slow reprise, the performance beautifully swung into the upbeat track that resembled the promise they made while writing it, “to try to love people with the clarity of grief.”

The title track of the album, “(I Can See) The Future,” featured a surprise guest, Rostam Batmanglij, who Ross made the record with. The only track written from a wildly alternative point of view, a person hundreds of years from now looking back on the turmoil of this time period. Ross views this song as their avenue to radical optimism and a dedication to doing “the work” in their lifetime so that future generations will eventually see the payout.

Rather than ending the show with “We’ll Never Have Sex,” the typical encore track of the setlist, Ross made LA’s final song a unique experience. Fitting to the fan selected song from prior in the show, Ross explained that their grandfather used to run an open mic in Ontario, Canada, where many Scottish musicians would perform in what they described as “a Celtic affair.” All the musicians who performed on stage that night would take the stage together for one final performance of “Wild Mountain Thyme,” a Scottish and Irish folk song. Leith took a moment to teach the crowd the words of the chorus, repeating them over and over until the unified voice of the crowd grew louder, and the group on the stage began their full rendition. The night ended in a beautiful display of community and an overwhelming sense of hope.