LEXA GATES
Lexa Gates, Brooklyn Bowl, Philadelphia, PA 4/25/2026
After 13 days on tour, Lexa Gates finally made her way to the Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia for the final night of the “I Am” 2026 North American tour, celebrating the release of her sophomore studio album, which shares the same name. Joining Lexa for some of the tour is Atlanta-based rapper, Vayda.
Vayda started the night off with a very memorable bang. The set began with her DJ playing a couple of songs, and then the lights dimmed, and Vayda appeared on stage. Encouraging fans to shine the room bright with their flashlights, Brooklyn Bowl immediately shone bright again. Her setlist featured songs from various of her albums and EPs like “Laffy Taffy” from the EP, “Put Your Clothes On” (2025), and “Disco wit a Glock” off her most recent album, “Don’t Lose The Groove”(2025). Vayda’s energy was high the entire set, and got the crowd even more hyped for Lexa Gates.
From Queens, New York, Lexa Gates rose to fame by blending hip hop, soul, and jazz, with her music talking about her identity, relationships, and more. With the recent release of her latest studio project, “I Am,” fans were absolutely ready for a beautiful and exciting performance. Starting her set off with “It Goes On,” “I Don’t Even Know,” and ‘Estranged,” fans knew every single word, and not only for those three songs, all of them. It was amazing to watch Lexa in her element on stage. Lexa’s incredible and soothing vocal range translates perfectly live. Her stage design was simple, but she utilized it so elegantly. It featured a large platform that she utilized for some parts of the set, and a fold-up chair that she bought on stage once in a while.
The setlist also featured a lot of hits from older eras of her music, like “Rotten to the Core” off Universe “Wrapped In Flesh” (2022), and ‘I Just Can’t Be Alone” off “Elite Vessel” (2022). Although the setlist was pretty quick, with it being around 55 minutes, Gates made every single minute count and gave her all into it. The energy from her and her fans was at its peak the entire night, and she constantly expressed her excitement to be in Philadelphia for her final night of tour. Philadelphia is known for a lot of things, but always knowing how to get hype is one of them.
Although the “I Am” North American tour came to an end, Lexa Gates still has a lot in store for this summer, with her set to perform at The Governors Ball Music Festival 2026 in New York, and has a few headliner shows in Europe in late June.
Shot and Written by Christopher McIntyre
