HAYLA in Detroit: A Blizzard, A Delay, and a Set That Felt Worth Every Minute
- LJ Portnoy
- Dec 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Article contributed by LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief
Photography by LJ Portnoy
A Room That Filled in the Snow
Detroit did not blink at the weather. Even with a snowstorm delaying flights and pushing doors nearly two hours past schedule, the crowd kept arriving. People bundled against wind and ice still chose to stand shoulder-to-shoulder inside The El Club, a small venue with the energy of something much larger. It was our first time shooting here, and stepping into a space without a barricade meant we became part of the audience instead of perched in front of it. Tight bodies, swaying movement, raised phones — all of it became our shooting environment. It demanded quick reflexes and shared space, and it made the night feel real.
Lizzy Jane Sparks the Room Awake
When Lizzy Jane opened, the delay disappeared. Her rave-leaning set unfolded with heavy bass, glittering lights, and vocals that cracked open the night like static. The crowd danced immediately, no warm-up required.
Detroit was ready to move, and Lizzy gave them permission to let go of time, weather, and expectation. The energy shifted from patience to release, and once it happened, it did not let up.
HAYLA Takes Control in One Note
The changeover was fast — barely a breath — and then HAYLA stepped into the light.
Dressed in black with pale hair that glowed under color-wash lighting, she became the focal point the moment she took the stage. No introduction required. The first note drew the room into silence, then into motion. Track after track unfolded like polished chapters in her story. Her presence was confident without force and expressive without theatrics. The voice carried everything.
Shiver — a Moment That Felt Like Holding Stillness
Shiver arrived like a temperature shift. On streaming, the track is cool and smooth, but live it became something fuller and more human. The vocals sharpened with emotional clarity, and the room softened in response. People swayed instead of jumping, eyes lifted toward the stage like they did not want to miss a breath. It felt personal, close, deliberate.
Two Unreleased Tracks and a City Leaning Forward
HAYLA introduced two unreleased songs and Detroit leaned in. Phones leaped into to the air not for recognition, but for discovery. There is a magic in hearing something new for the first time, especially when the artist trusts the room enough to share it early. It felt like an offering.
Where You Are — The Song Detroit Was Waiting For
Where You Are came near the end of the set, the final song before the encore, and the room reacted instantly. Phones lifted in a synchronized wave. Fans recorded as though capturing proof that they lived inside this moment. The performance was tender and aching in the best way — a song about longing that becomes communal when sung together. It felt bigger than the venue, bigger than the night, like a collective confession set to melody.
A Show That Earned Its Own Story
Outside, the bitter cold kept falling. Inside, no one cared. The delay, the flight issues, the snow — none of it mattered once the music began. HAYLA gave Detroit a night filled with power, softness, and presence, and the audience returned that energy with focus, voice, and unwavering attention.
We will be sitting down with HAYLA soon for SoundCheck Sessions, and after shooting this show from inside the crowd instead of in front of it, we are more than ready for that conversation.
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