To watch Clairo in concert is to watch an artist in their element. In the close-out show of her North American tour, the Atlanta-born artist showcased her growth as a performer, effortlessly controlling the crowd with her every sway and song. In a homecoming – of sorts – she delivered a performance befitting her critically acclaimed third album, “Charm.” In short, she was electric.
When recounting the night’s events to their friends, every spectator in the crowd would be remiss not to mention the show’s phenomenal set design. For most of the night, Clairo and her band, who stood at the stage’s center, were enveloped by a golden curtain and a floating spotlight. The curtains changed colors as the concert went on and the beaming spotlight moved. During “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” the curtains turned blue. When the songs turned slower and more mature, the spotlight illuminated the singer alone, as if the sun itself decided to beam on her from inside the Fox.
South African singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou served as the opener. In an emotional performance, she raged at political male elites’ propensity to make consequential decisions about women’s bodily autonomy and toasted to the end of a wonderful tour. Performing in a small space between the stage front and the Fox’s trademark velvet curtains, Lou delivered a powerful opener. The Berlin-based singer brought the crowd to their feet with a galvanic performance of her biggest hit, “Witches.” Despite performing at a large venue, Lou’s performance was intimate and probably instilled in most attendees a desire to see her live once again.
Clairo, whose real name is Claire Cottrill, was born in Atlanta but has spent most of her life in the Northeast. Nevertheless, her Atlanta-based fans continue to support her like a hometown hero. Here, her concerts, whether they be at the Fox or the Masquerade, always feel a little more special. The diversity of her crowds is reflective of her local popularity. At her most recent stop in town, concert-goers’ ages ranged from those in their teens to the middle-aged. They were united not by demographics but by the two hours they spent under Cottrill’s spell.
At the historic Fox Theatre, Clairo danced between performances of her early hits and deeper cuts from her latest and sophomore albums. She regaled the audience with modernized renditions of her early hits, released when she was a novice artist associated with the bedroom pop genre of the late 2010s. While it seemed like every song was a crowd-pleaser, “Sexy to Someone,” “Bags” and “Juna” received particularly warm receptions. Clairo sang, danced and played multiple instruments tirelessly for over an hour. By the end of the night, audience members, most of whom sang and danced for the entirety of her time on stage, rewarded the performers with minutes-long standing ovations.
Halfway through her performance, Clairo shared with the audience that “Charm” had been nominated for a Grammy. This serves as the culmination of her maturation as an artist and performer. Every new Clairo record showcases the development of one of our generation’s great artists. Every one of her concerts showcases her development as a performer, and every one of her Atlanta concerts showcases the city’s willingness to support Clairo as one of their own.
