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About 2 weeks ago I got to see Clairo perform in the Salt Shed here in Chicago! I had a great time so I wanted to share my experience with you today!
All pictures taken by me!
>> Before We Got Inside <<
Me and my friend really liked her newest album ‘Charm’ and we bought tickets all the way back in the summer of this year because we knew we had to see her tour this album. We had waited several months but the day arrived! Me and my friend had arrived to the venue at about 2:30pm, and doors opened at 7pm. We were committed to getting a good view of clairo since we had GA at this concert. So we waited outside the venue in a line for about 4 and a half hours. When the sun set, it got cold. Fast. We were practically freezing lol but it’s all worth it for Clairo!! We made some friends in the line but after the sun left us all we could do was hope that the doors were gonna open soon. (I feel bad for the girls who wanted to slay in the miniskirts because I can’t even imagine how cold they were..😭). Me and my friend decided that we were gonna skip the merch line when getting inside the venue in order to get the best possible spot in the pit, and we would just try to get merch on our way out. Once we finally got through security and all that, we had to powerwalk towards the pit cause staff yelled at us to stop running, whoops. We ended up at a decent spot, as you will see in the pictures I took! Overall I think we did a good job planning everything out (except maybe I’ll bring extra layers next time).
Alice Phoebe Lou
>> Opener <<
The opener for our Charm Tour date was Alice Phoebe Lou. I usually tend to listen to the openers music before the concert, but this time I just didn’t get around to doing it. But safe to say I was very impressed from what I heard live! The general vibe I was getting from her was similar to Clairo’s, but with a twist. She leaned in more to the alt-rock and alt-pop elements that Clairo sometimes dips into. From my memory, I would describe her sound like it was straight from an old 80’s diner with a pop and rock twist. I know thats a very specific comparison, and maybe the studio versions of these songs sound completely different but I couldn’t tell you. There were also a few people in the crowd who knew of her music as well, so that’s always cool to see. Safe to say she did her job pretty well! Opening for a popular artist is a great oppurtunity and this is their oppuruntity to show their music to people who may not have found them otherwise. In that case, I think Alice did a good job at showing the crowd what her music was all about. Whenever an opener is able to keep my attention throughout their performance, that usually tells me I should probably go on to listen to more of their music. I’m hopeful to try and get into her music a bit more (when I can finally find the time… midterms iykyk 🥲).
>> Clairo <<
After waiting a little bit after the opener, Clairo came on and tldr she was amazing! She came out with her band mates and literally sat down with some drinks and talked to eachother for a minute. I avoided spoilers for this concert, so now I know she does this at every show but it’s definitely a cute moment for sure. Also I forgot to mention that the most annoying girls on the face of the earth were standing behind me and my friend and were trying to make their way to the front of the stage. They were all very short (unfortunate in a GA setting but thats just how it goes..) and they kept repeatedly budging and pushing us while also taking up our space. This happens in almost every pit but once the concert starts, its best to just stay where you are since pushing people and interrupting their experience is beyond rude. They got their karma though, as they somehow found themselves surronded by a group of guys who were somehow even taller than me and were also blocking my view (im 5’11”). Take that as a valuable lesson, because I doubt those girls got to see the rest of the performance very well. Anyways, it’s kind of crazy how accurate Clairo’s live vocals are compared to her vocals on the studio versions. It really just goes to show that her talent is natural and isn’t just a fluke (although I don’t think anyone was saying that anyway.) It was so cool to hear all the songs from her latest album live. So much had changed in my personal life fom the time that record released and now. Concerts are always a full-circle moment for me, where I can remember a certain time of my life where things were better or maybe worse. As for this album, I will always remember it as an album that defined my summer. Hanging out with friends almost every day, being with my family, working at my job, living in a smaller town surrounded by cornfields, and even being in my first relationship. All of these things had to come to an end because it was my last summer before I had to come here to UIC, and that was a bittersweet feeling at the time. This concert really tied that era of my life up in a nice little bow and made me realize how long it had been since this part of my life passed by. All of these memories came flooding back just by simply being at a concert! Thats a reason why I love music and concerts so much, the impact it can have on your life is more significant than some think!
>> Wrapping Up <<
All in all, I had a great time seeing Clairo live! She performed every song from her recent album and played a lot of fan favorites. Hearing songs like North, Bags, Bambi, and Amoeba live after all this time was so cool. Me and my friend were able to get through the crowd and into the merch line, and I was able to get a tour shirt and a poster! On that subject, the merch prices werent terrible, and the quality seems decent enough. But to be honest, I think concert merch is getting way too expensive, however thats a topic for another day. Seeing this concert was definitely worth it and I reccomend any Clairo fan to go and see her if you are able to! Shes a great performer and she clearly cares for her fans.
Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you next week!
~ Joey
:)
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