There’s something special about watching a band tour behind an album that feels like a victory lap. For The Aces, that album is Gold Star Baby. It’s a bright, confident disco-pop record that doubles down on everything that’s made them one of pop’s most reliable live acts. At The Royale on Tuesday night, they turned that confidence into a nearly two-hour celebration.

Opener Lydia Night, best known as the lead singer of The Regrettes, set the tone with a short but dynamic set of her own. Since the band’s split in 2023, Night has leaned fully into her solo pop era, and it shows. Her breakthrough single “Pity Party” and songs from her debut, Parody of Pleasure, carried the same restless, disco-tinged pulse that made her previous band so electric. Though it was just her, a drummer, and some backing tracks, her stage presence made the room feel smaller in the best way.

Then The Aces took the stage, and Boston immediately matched their energy – something unexpected on the city’s first sub-30s day of the winter. The band dove straight into Gold Star Baby, moving through all its anthemic synths, shimmering guitars, and disco roots. They mixed in fan favorites and deep cuts, but the majority of the set was filled with Gold Star Baby with all it’s spectacle and glamor. 

Midway through the show, the band paused to find their “Gold Star” in the crowd – the best-dressed fan of the night – and invited them onstage for a celebratory shot. It was charming, and exactly the kind of connection that defines The Aces’ relationship with their audience. Later came a surprise mini-revival of their podcast Aces Space, where they invited fans to “spill the tea.” As drummer Alisa Ramirez remarked, “Boston is known for spilling the tea, right?” to cheers from the audience and groans from her fellow bandmates. A few fans had interesting personal drama to spill, but the loudest cheer from the crowd came from one fan who claimed to have spit in Kristi Noem’s drink while waiting tables.

They also took time to introduce something they called “The Magic.” Others might call it swagger, confidence – or, as they joked, “rizz” for the younger fans. They demonstrated the move, a kind of rhythmic double fist pump with a guttural “huehh” that defies description but somehow made perfect sense in the moment. Within seconds, the entire room was in sync, performing the motion back to the band.

The night’s biggest musical surprise came with a live debut of their upcoming single “Square One,” set to drop this Friday. It slotted effortlessly between Gold Star Baby tracks, another sign the band’s momentum isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and maybe teases a deluxe or expanded Gold Star Baby in the future. 

By the end of the night, The Aces had reminded Boston why they’ve remained one of the most joyful and consistent acts in modern pop since they exploded onto the scene nearly a decade ago. What sets The Aces apart, though, is not their longevity, but their constant evolution of sound over time. And on this newest album and tour, The Magic is real. 

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