Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Healing Force of the Universe, Pasadena
**NoSo** – *When Are You Leaving?* (2025) Singer/songwriter/producer Baek Hwong’s second LP as NoSo trades fantasy for reality. Their 2022 debut *Stay Proud of Me -* a quarantine-born daydream about embracing transmasc identity - earned wide acclaim from NPR, Paste, The Guardian, Notion, and a memorable Tiny Desk performance. But *When Are You Leaving?* asks the next question: what happens after transition, when long-sought comfort arrives with its own set of challenges? Hwong reflects on identity, visibility, and relationships with wit and maturity, moving from the aching longing of their earlier work toward clarity, nuance, and resilience. Born in Chicago, trained in guitar and songwriting at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and now based in Los Angeles, Hwong channels alienation and triumph into deeply personal songs. The title reflects the strength required to leave toxic dynamics and embrace smaller but hard-earned victories. Expansive arrangements glisten with saxophone and strings, “Nara” nods to ’80s new wave, “Dad Made Toast!” bursts with experimental house energy, and “A Believable Boy” evokes *Boxer*\-era The National. Self-produced with a contribution from Jack Tatum (Wild Nothing), the record spans disco grooves, heavy guitars, and intimate piano ballads. The result is NoSo’s most fully realized, complex, and personal album to date. Doors at 8 PM. Free with RSVP. Sells out at 80. First-come, first-served.