American singer-songwriter Claire Cottrill, professionally known as Clairo, performed under the full moon at The Salt Shed on Thursday evening.
The venue has a maximum capacity of 3,600 people, but Clairo spent a 90-minute set making it feel like an intimate, acoustic show. I’ll never get tired of hearing sad girl music on a big stage, and Clairo did an excellent job of staying true to her “bedroom pop” vibe while playing to thousands of people.
Unlike other shows I’ve seen where the artist rushes on stage and immediately starts the first song, Clairo spent the first several minutes on stage sitting in a circle with her band, laughing and talking. She poured a glass of wine for each member of the band, clinking the glasses with her back to the crowd before turning around and raising a glass to her devoted fans.
Clairo opened her 20-track set with “Nomad,” one of the singles off her latest album, ”Charm,” followed by “Second Nature.” Clairo greeted her adoring fans with complaints of the full moon, asserting the moon is responsible for changes in behavior and holding that “anybody feeling f*cking mad can thank the moon for that.”
The energy in the audience was electric with fans singing and dancing along to Clairo’s set. Fan favorites included “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” “Echo” and “Slow Dance.” She followed with one of my personal favorites, “Partridge,” along with a cover of a David Byrne song, “Everyone’s in Love With You,” a deviation from her previous setlists, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
She then played “4EVER,” another clear crowd-pleaser, followed by the song that Clairo cited as her favorite of the night, “Amoeba,” inviting the crowd to dance along.
But nothing could top the third-to-last song of the night, a throwback to the first single off her debut album, “Immunity,” and the track that indoctrinated me into the Clairo community. The audience’s cheers were deafening as Clairo screamed, “This is what y’all have been waiting for!” and the opening to “Bags” began to play.
This is already among the most sonically satisfying tracks on my playlist, but hearing it live fully reinforced my love for the song. The crowd chanting (or more accurately, shrieking) the phrase “walkin’ out the door with your bags” will forever be etched in my memory.
“Bags” was followed by several minutes of deafening cheers and applause from a euphoric audience, and a grateful-looking Clairo enjoying her standing ovation. She followed this fan-favorite with “Sexy to Someone,” the top single off her latest album. She closed the show with “Juna,” one of my personal favorites from “Charm.” I was a bit surprised she did not play “Sofia,” her most streamed song on Spotify with almost 800 million listens, but the setlist had a phenomenal flow, and I respect the decision.
All in all, Clairo’s ability to create such an intimate, personal atmosphere while playing to thousands was incredibly impressive, and her setlist felt like the perfect blend of old favorites and new surprises. For anyone who’s a fan of Clairo’s music, I would absolutely recommend catching her live. I know I’ll definitely be at her next show whenever she’s back in town!
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Twitter: @dugar_jay
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