The rise and fall of a Chappell Roan Concert | Remy Beckmen
JUNE 7, 2024 AT KEMBA LIVE
I first discovered Chappell Roan through her single “Pink Pony Club” shortly before the release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, last September. Instantly, I fell in love with her catchy music, drag-inspired persona, and lyrics that spoke to the queer experience. While I loved her, she didn’t find mainstream success until opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour and her stellar performances at big festivals like Coachella. Her introduction to a larger audience, both through the performances themselves and through social media, gave her such a boost in popularity that she could head out on her first headlining tour this summer.
I was lucky enough to catch Chappell Roan’s show at KEMBA Live! in Columbus, Ohio on June 7th, 2024.
I was so excited when I received the tickets and could not stop talking about it for weeks, much to my friends and family's chagrin. I handmade a t-shirt of a rabbit holding a fairy wand, in reference to a Chappell lyric in “Red Wine Supernova”, and bought bright red eyeliner, glitter, and face gems, all in order to have the perfect concert outfit. Arriving over two hours early, I could already feel the electric energy from the crowd as I managed to secure the perfect spot at the barrier. As showtime approached, over 5,000 fans flooded the sold-out venue dressed to the show’s theme, “Karma is my Kink”, with feathers, fishnets, DIY shirts, cowboy hats, leather, devil horns, anything, and everything, combining into some of the campiest outfits I’ve seen. And the camp didn’t stop at the crowd.
Chappell’s been extremely vocal about how drag has inspired many aspects of her career and so she’s decided to use her platform to give back; inviting local drag queens to perform as her openers throughout the tour. The Columbus openers were Maya Bizness, Edna Mwah, and the Girl Named Jack, all of whom put on stunning performances with jumps, splits, and death drops to iconic queer anthems like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Danity Kane’s “Bad Girl”. Each performer had the crowd enraptured, cheering and even throwing money up on stage, as is a drag show custom, though quite uncommon for a concert. Maya Bizness summarized their inclusion beautifully when she said, “This isn’t just a concert, but a celebration of queer music and art.”
Celebration truly was the best word for the energy in the crowd. I talked to those around me about what seeing Chappell live meant to them and what I heard solidified her as a queer idol. Many spoke about how her music made them feel seen as a queer person, even if they weren’t out, and how the success of Chappell, who herself is a lesbian, meant a great deal for representation in popular culture. It’s this admiration that drew in the large crowd, some of whom came from hours away or even other states just to see her perform. As the stage filled with smoke, the crowd knew they were about to see the performance of a lifetime.
The venue broke into cheers as the speakers kicked on with a low synth sting and pre-recorded message from Roan, ending in her iconically yelling, “I am the Midwest Princess” before strutting on stage with her band. The band, consisting of Lucy Ritter on drums, Devon Eisenbarger on guitar, and Allee Futterer on bass, were all dressed for the show in beautiful sparkly red dresses and Chappell Roan in a bedazzled red corset, a red bra with two large black stars, and every edge covered in beaded tassels. The cheering only slightly quieted into a harmony of a thousand-strong choir when the first notes of ‘Femininomenon’ played.
The show lasted a little under two hours as she played through the entire album along with some singles such as “ Kaleidoscope”. There was not a single quiet moment, every song had the whole audience singing along, shouting at audience interaction points, such as asking Roan to “play a song with a beat”, and even synchronized dancing to her hit song “Hot to Go!” (Though dancing in the crowded pit was quite difficult).
I found it interesting how balanced the show was between her fast-paced, poppy songs and slower, soulful ballads. She was able to transition from dancing and strutting all around the stage, belting out high notes to “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”. Bright pink backing lights and strobe effects softly swayed as she slow-danced with her band member in an amber light-saturated rendition of “Love Me Anyway” in a way that felt natural and kept momentum in the show. I also want to highlight her bandmates who matched her energy perfectly, dancing as they played and meeting mid-stage for a shred off or cute moment. You could tell they were having fun playing together and it came through in the sound as they made the powerful backing music paired with Chappell’s stellar vocals.
The most moving part of the night for me was when, before playing “Kaleidoscope”, Chappell thanked the crowd for being there and allowing her to be herself.
“I really needed a group like this when I was 15,” she said. “And I’m so grateful that I have that now.”
As the concert ended with Chappell’s hit song, “Pink Pony Club”, a song about finding a community of acceptance and joy, I could only look around at the crowd I had found myself in. I thought about how much I also needed this community as a young queer person and what Chappell’s popularity must mean to queer 15-year-olds now.
I’m happy to say her popularity also appears to only be beginning. Since this concert, Chappell has played the Governor’s Ball in New York, had a song reach the top 100s, and even met fellow gay icon, Elton John. I look forward to seeing where Chappell Roan goes from here as she encourages anyone with the means to see her perform live; she truly is a femininomenon.
All photos courtesy of Remy Beckmen
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