If you’ve been following us for a while, it should be NO surprise that I had to see pop songstress Chappell Roan on her Midwest Princess Tour.
Since The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess came out this year, it’s all I’ve had in rotation. Seeing her perform these songs on tour brought the album to life with the production of choreography and lights. Emo’s quickly became one of my favorite venues in Austin, so seeing this turn into a disco-synth nightclub for an evening was the cherry on top for a Wednesday night.
Roan opened her set with Femininomenon - as if there was ever any other more perfect track to prepare the crowd for the evening ahead of us. While we’ve been fans of Roan since the beginning, Emily’s been the only one fortunate enough to see her perform, so this was my first show, and for once, I wanted to go in COMPLETELY blind and surprised.
I had no clue that the Midwest native assigned each show a separate theme from the tracks on the album. Austin’s theme was a nod to “Naked in Manhattan” a la “The rush of slumber party kissing” where Roan and her band donned robes, eye masks, and hair rollers. The best part about this show is that it is a TRUE show. Having each stop be curated and specific, it’s incredible to see the versatility she has as not only an artist but a performer.
We slowed down the evening with “Picture You” as we got to hear Roan’s vocals showcased in a ballad before kicking it back up a notch like a high school cheerleader in “HOT TO GO!” It’s no surprise one of Roan’s idols is none other than Lady Gaga herself as she performs as a cover of “Bad Romance” for the Austin crowd.
After you hear “My Kink Is Karma,” Roan exits the stage, and you just know we’re not done…YET. And you’d be right. We finish off the evening with encore tracks, “California” and, of course, “Pink Pony Club,” as we watch this tiny industrial venue turn into a nightclub for just under 4 minutes.
Roan will be back in our fair city as she supports Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour - and we are going to make damn sure we’re there to support our pop princess.
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
