Operelly (moniker for Olivia Rose Austin) stopped by El Cid as part of a 10 stop tour to promote her recently released EP called *FLUTTERS AWAY*. Ground Control Touring has this tidbit about their client, "Operelly’s music weaves together delicate electronic and acoustic elements into a form that Olivia calls 'tiptoe music.'” That combination of electronic and acoustic could be heard at the start of the set. She started off playing an intro on her electric organ / synth before shifting over to her acoustic guitar for "Cozy."
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| Operelly at El Cid |
Between sets (Ella Woolsey) opened up the night, the audience was talking away as one might expect. El Cid flashed the lights to indicate that Operelly was about to come onto the stage and you could hear a number of people saying, "Shh." The talking ended nearly immediately. Austin and her band walked onto the stage with everyone's full attention.
What did I notice 1: During Ella Woolsey's opening set, I noticed that there was a handful of stacked papers on the far edge of stage right. The top sheet was Operelly's set list. When the band came onto the stage, they left the setlists (I later noticed that some of the sheets were merch price printouts) off to the side. I figured they'd move it to where they were playing, center and stage left. I wasn't the only one who noticed those sheets of paper. As soon as the band walked off stage (leaving behind their price sheeting) after the set ended, fans grabbed the setlists and price sheets.
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| Operelly at El Cid |
What did I notice 2: The set was about setting a "tiptoe" mood while underplaying the stage performance. Yet, during the song "Leaving," I noticed her giving a good-bye wave when she sang the word leaving.
The audience enjoyed the set and sang along to many of the songs such as "Under my bed," but the biggest response from the crowd came from the band's cover of The Muppets' (Kermit the Frog) "Rainbow Connection." Austin's bright vocals were perfectly aligned with the tune. One reaction from the crowd was, "That was amazing!"
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| Operelly at El Cid |
When tuning by her guitarist took a little too long, she broke the awkward silence by telling the crowd that she went to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures earlier in the day. She mentioned that you could even have your photo taken as you accepted an Oscar. Someone asked if she had a photo taken. She responded back, "No, I'm a cheapskate." Ha ha, that makes me feel connected to her.
Operelly has released two EPs within the last 12 months. In 2025, there was the EP Handwriting Practice No. 1. Then in 2026, there was the *FLUTTERS AWAY* release. Of this accomplishment, she said, "It's been really fun figuring out arrangements."
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| Operelly at El Cid |
She ended the set by telling the audience, "Thank you, I love you."
The song spotlight goes to "Tell my man" from the *FLUTTERS AWAY* EP. It is the opening track of the EP. The recorded version has an organ beginning though she didn't use the electric organ for the live version. The song is a dedication to her significant other. It is a song that highlights her vocals (that has just a pinch of operatic flair) professing love. It is a song that looks into why relationships last even though each has their flaws and personality difference. The following lyrics would seem to indicate that one is an early bird while the other is not.
What causes a soul to endear a person? (I'm not a princess of the morning)
Setlist: Cozy, You Don't Have One Hope, Under my bed, Vows, If someone's gonna love you, Everyone's favorite, Tell my man, Flutter away, Leaving, Rainbow Connection (Disney's the Muppets cover), Encyclopedia, My Bell Rings.
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