“I feel like I’m in a dream, but if it feels just like a dream, that means it’s summer forever.” exclaimed the 25-year old singer, dancer, and influencer about performing in San Francisco.
Smoke covered the stage while gates embellished with an “A” stood tall over the crowd, and then a graceful emergence of the young pop star Addison Rae had the entire crowd screaming. Addison’s capability to effortlessly capture an entire audience’s attention is equally impressive and admirable, especially on her first tour ever.
The energy within the crowd was already echoing through the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium prior to her arrival as her inspirations Charli XCX, Madonna, Britney Spears, and many other artists have played—concert goers in the balcony dancing while those on the floor scream and applaud them. However, this energy intensified as soon as Addison stepped out in a lingerie set of her signature summer colors— yellow, orange, and hot pink—while singing her hit song “Fame is a Gun.”
Addison has a capacity for keeping a crowd entertained through her sharp, yet refined, dance moves, especially as the blue and pink lights engulf the entire venue. Her stage presence screams confidence and beauty, especially as there felt a form of storytelling through her performance—whether it was singing her debut song “Obsessed” or Arca’s rendition of “Aquamarine.” She had made it known that she had come a long way within her music career from singing songs from her first EP, such as, “I got it bad,” “2 die 4” (feat. Charli XCX), to her iconic hit from her album Addison “Headphones On.”
Addison had made sure to keep the crowd in constant energy check by encouraging fans to come on stage and do the iconic scream in Charli XCX’s song “Von dutch a.g. cook remix featuring addison rae” and talking about her love for San Francisco as it was her first time in the Bay. While performing “New York” her call for the audience to “jump!” had the entire venue moving and dancing in unison to the melody.
The implementation of strobe lights, constant color hues flying over the crowd, raindrop lights, and sparklers further had the crowd in constant awe as it so perfectly aligned with Addison’s partygirl energy—making us all feel as if we were moving with her, not just to her. Her range of mood within the songs while performing “Money is Everything” to “Times Like These” was interesting to witness; despite the lyrics, she was able to make sure the audience was encapsulated in high energy only, which is quite hard for artists to do nowadays, yet this new debut artist made it seem so effortless.
Addison’s wardrobe, however, was one of the most impressive forms of making sure the crowd’s eyes were on her at all times. From her beautiful bedazzled mini dress, while singing “In The Rain,” that turned into a shiny lingerie set as she transitioned into “High Fashion,” to the iconic rhinestone embellished grey tulle A-lined dress worn for “Diet Pepsi,” she always made sure to have a pair of Christian Louboutins on, despite the enchanting dance moves she executed.
This concert itself shows the versatility in Addison’s character, and most importantly, the icon she is. It is most definitely worth noting that it did not feel like it was her debut tour. It felt as if she had been performing for years and knew exactly what to do. The connection between her and the crowd mirrored an environment of ecstatic energy, a concert I have not experienced before and would definitely relive.
Review by Hannah Fielder
