LIVE REVIEW: Noah Cyrus @ Emo’s Austin
AUSTIN, TX | EMO’S AUSTIN | OCTOBER 22, 2025 | WRITTEN BY C.S. HARPER | PHOTOS BY ELINA CARRASCO
As the first leg of her I WANT MY LOVED ONES TO GO WITH ME” Tour came to a close, Noah Cyrus made the Emo’s stage a family affair. With her brother Braison and folk hero Bill Callahan in tow, Cyrus delivered a show as heartfelt as her sophomore album. As the tour’s namesake, Cyrus’ latest record album is a beautiful ode to her Tennessee roots, exploring family ties, memory, and loss with contributions from country legends like Blake Shelton and Fleet Foxes.
Just like her record, the atmosphere at Emo’s felt nostalgic and intimate. Country troubadours of all ages gathered around the stage, which had transformed into a mystical forest with mossy stones and gnarly branches. Few phones were out; the audience members chatted excitedly as throwbacks like Fleetwood Mac’s “Gypsy” played over the venue’s speakers.
The lights dimmed at 8 pm, and the crowd listened attentively as Braison Cyrus took the stage with supporting guitarists Jordan Lindley and Bryan Sullivan. He graced the crowd with his Southern hospitality and cozy tunes, like the poetic “Alaska” and the heartfelt “Meet Me in the Middle.” The soft acoustics elevated his vocal harmonies, making his set feel like a cozy coffee shop performance. In between songs, Braison addressed the crowd with humility and gratitude. He shared that the night felt “bittersweet” because it was his last show on his sister’s tour, but he was thankful he could support her as an opening act. Before closing out his set, he thanked the audience for being “an amazing blessing” and delivered a solo rendition of “Someone I’ve Met Again.” Cyrus’ performance oozed autumnal warmth, setting the tone for his sister’s more theatrical, wintry set.
Mist filled the air as an old-timey hymn wafted from the speakers: “I want my loved ones to go with me … / Oh, Jesus, help me lead my loved ones.” A wave of cymbal rolls and guitar licks took over the audio track, announcing Noah Cyrus’ onstage arrival shortly after 9 pm. With her long dress and braided hair, the Tennessee native looked like an elven queen. She paced the stage, lantern in hand, with dramatic strides before taking the mic. “I saw the mountains, and they saw me,” she crooned from her latest album’s opening track, “I Saw the Mountains.” Cyrus mimed the song’s picturesque lyrics, pointing skyward as she sang “the eyes of eternity” and looking around as she mused that she’s “seen too many things.”
Despite the theatrics of the night, the country starlet shone most as a vocalist, not just as a performer. In a standout moment, Cyrus surprised the audience with a goosebump-inducing key change to close out her love-hate song, “All Three.” She also played on her versatility to keep her set interesting. Having signed her first record deal at just 16, Cyrus already has an impressive back catalog and artistic evolution. Instead of shying away from her mainstream pop roots, the singer incorporated her folksy style into her old songs. She transformed the Top 40 pop hit “Again” into a kickass country-rock anthem, complete with vocal belts and a violin solo.
But Cyrus could tug at fans’ heartstrings just like she could hype them up. Near the tail end of her set, she invited Braison back onstage to perform their final duets for the tour. The siblings fed off each other’s energy, tapping into their inner children and letting loose together. During their co-written track, “Don’t Put It All On Me,” they held hands, spun around, and gleefully played air guitar in a tribute to familial love. The duo also covered Band of Horses’ “The Funeral,” which had soundtracked their childhood car rides together. In the song’s final moments, Braison left the stage to roaring applause, leaving his sister to transition into the final song of the night, “July.”
The songstress took a moment to reminisce about the track’s origin as an underdog anthem. Her record label initially doubted her country vision, but she thanked her fans for supporting “July” and “completely [setting her] free” from mainstream pop standards. Telling the audience, “This is your song, sing it as loud as you can,” Cyrus broke into song. The venue lit up with phone flashlights as crowd members sang their hearts out and adoringly called out, “I love you, Noah!” Her fans’ enthusiasm only grew with the encore, where indie singer-songwriter Bill Callahan joined her to cover Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Into My Arms” and their own collaboration, “XXX.”
On Noah Cyrus’ sophomore tour, her Austin stop felt like a triumphant full-circle moment. The singer proudly wore her influences on her sleeve, integrating her Southern upbringing and family’s musicianship into a breathtaking show. Noah Cyrus musically comes into her own on I Want My Loved Ones to Go with Me, and her tour’s Australia shows will not be ones to miss.
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