On a warm summer night, a crowd of 20-somethings began to form outside of one of the most iconic music venues in the East Village, Webster Hall.
Which is where, on the previous day, Sept. 14, iconic indie-pop artist Clairo began the first show of her five-night residency.
Her brief pit stop in the East Village is part of a larger international “Charm Tour” to celebrate the artist’s first self-released album, with shows in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Dublin. This tour marks the release of her third critically acclaimed album “Charm,” which debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 earlier this summer.
Released in July, “Charm” marks a deviation from Clairo’s earlier work, with more intimacy and experimentation laced within each track.
Throughout her second show, on Sept. 15, she continuously referred to the album as a “rebirth” and expressed her gratitude toward audience members for their positive reception of her work. Clairo described the cohesive theme of the album as “connection” and the “coming together of people.”
“I came to the conclusion that, to me, charm is the moment when two people meet, and they have separate life experiences, all their own stories and feelings, and then they tell each other the first layer,” the singer said in a New Yorker profile shortly before the album’s release.
Given the intimacy of the record, Webster Hall was the perfect venue to host her residency. The sway and closeness of the audience in the general admission pit created the perfect atmosphere to experience the singer’s jazz-soul songs. Her dreamy, light voice carried through all corners of the room — and to me, marked a cozy beginning to the fall season.
The show began as Wendy Rene’s song “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” began to blast through the speakers. Clairo — accompanied by the members of her band — walked onto the stage, toting a tray that held several glasses of red wine. As each member of the band took their respective wine glasses and settled down into their positions, they stopped to “cheers” with each other, drink a couple sips and then officially begin their set. A carefree, relaxed atmosphere took hold in the ballroom.
With the exception of a few songs — this was the “Charm Tour” with a capital C. And I admire that an artist with as many hits as her still has the confidence to center her work that might not have been as “TikTok viral”.
Surprisingly, however, for such an intimate show, Clairo herself was only backlit with one spotlight the entire time, slightly obscuring her face from the audience; an interesting artistic decision given the intimacy of the album’s themes. You may think you know her, you may think you “get her,” but you’ll never quite see her entirely.
Beginning with tracks, such as “Nomad” and “Second Nature,” I admired the love and appreciation that she and the audience members provided this album. I entered the concert thinking that she would reserve a chunk of her setlist to nostalgic hits, such as “Sofia;” “Bubble Gum” or “Pretty Girl.” But, I was pleasantly surprised to realize this show was the opposite.
With the exception of a few songs — this was the “Charm Tour” with a capital C. And I admire that an artist with as many hits as her still has the confidence to center her work that might not have been as “TikTok viral”.
The audience’s favorite songs of the night were “Juna” and “Glory of the Snow,” initiating an iPhone flashlight sway among few people on the left side of the ballroom. And although Clairo’s interactions with the audience members were brief, there was an unspoken familiarity and amusement between the two parties.
“Everyone, ‘boo’ if you think we’re sexy,” the singer said as the band began to play “Sexy to Someone.”
Although the 85-minute set ended with no encore — I can officially testify to the fact that it was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever experienced.
Clairo officially completed her five-night residency on Sept. 19 at Webster Hall, but the “Charm Tour” will continue until March 2025.
