dodie Walks LA Through Her Album at the Blue Note
Written and Photo by Glenalyn Ann
| dodie sells out her Not For Lack of Clarinets tour, adding an extra show in LA and having fans leave wanting more.
In honor of her latest album, Not For Lack Of Trying, dodie brought her Not For Lack of Clarinets tour to the iconic Blue Note Los Angeles for back-to-back performances. Selling out the first show, the room was filled and buzzed with conversations that grew louder with each passing minute as fans waited for dodie.
dodie is an English singer-songwriter, author, and YouTuber who built her following from her bedroom, uploading ukulele and piano covers online before sharing her first original songs. Her debut EP, Intertwined, was released in 2016, followed by You and Human, and fans fell for her honest lyrics, close harmonies, and comedic wit. Songs like “Sick of Losing Soulmates” and “Monster” became fan favorites and viral sensations, which led to her 2021 debut album, Build a Problem. Her second, most recent album, Not For Lack Of Trying, was released in October 2025, and this tour is her chance to take the whole record to the stage.
When dodie walked out, she was met with cheers from the crowd, whom she hadn’t seen in a while. She began chatting with the crowd saying how lovely it was to see everyone and opened the show with “I’M FINE!” and moved into “Smart Girl,” “Darling, Angel, Baby,” and “Hold Fire.” She mentioned that the plan for the night was simple: play the album in order and break it down song by song, which was met with intrigue from the crowd. Between songs, dodie would also share fun facts and jokes about how each song came to be, often while tuning her guitar, and the crowd would listen and laugh along.
Those stories made the evening feel like sitting in a room with a friend who happened to be a songwriter. She would speak about how honest songwriting can be when speaking about songs that were about growing as a person, but also joke that she was over boys, and how it led to some of her best songs. “Tall Kids,” “I Feel Bad For You, Dave,” and “Now” carried that spirit, mixing humor with vulnerability. “The List” and “Different” followed, and the room stayed hushed and attentive, hanging on every word.
As the album wound towards its end with her songs “The End” and the title track, “Not For Lack of Trying,” dodie turned the night over to the crowd by asking if there were any older songs they wanted her to play. The requests brought out some of her most loved songs, with fans suggesting every one of her songs to play. The first request was “She,” which she said holds a special place in her heart, and as soon as the opening notes landed, the audience began singing along with harmonies that made dodie smile from ear to ear. “Kill List” brought another round of full-voice singing and you could feel the room go warm with nostalgia, the kind that comes from songs people have carried with them for years. When “Would You Be So Kind” followed, it felt like a reunion. Fans who had been with her since the early days swayed and bounced to the melody, happy to be back in a room with the songs that started it all.
She closed out the night with “The Answer,” leaving the room with the kind of satisfaction you can only get from a show this intimate. After a night of stories, singalongs, and a whole lot of connection, it felt like the perfect place to land. Being able to hear her thoughts behind each song and seeing her deepen her connection with the crowd made the show worth remembering, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for dodie.
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