Bedroom Pop took center stage during Gracie Abrams’ hometown shows in Los Angeles this weekend. For two sold-out nights at the El Rey Theater, Abrams sang and danced with adoring fans in a hometown celebration that showcased her growing stage presence and artistry.
The LA shows were a highlight of the 21-date tour in support of the singer’s This is What it Feels Like album that began on February 2 in Salt Lake City and will end next week in Seattle. The show was the last chance for fans to see her before she takes off for most of the next year to open a dozen dates for Olivia Rodrigo and embark on her own world tour. Knowing this, they turned out with a passion—even though the doors at the El Rey opened at 7 PM fans began arriving at the venue at 9 in the morning and endured a rare LA rainstorm to stake out a spot near the stage for the jammed general admission show.
Once it started, her fans were not disappointed, the show was truly beautiful and the air in the venue felt electric. Gracie Abrams possesses a stage presence and artistry that has developed with each show since her debut EP Minor dropped less than two years ago. Her lyricism is striking and she creates art that resonates with her listeners, bringing them along on an emotional journey. The audience was jumping up-and-down to the up-beat “For Real This Time” and silently watching in awe during the slow, brutally honest “Better.” Finally celebrating being together after two years of COVID craziness, Gracie created space for her fans to be in the moment with her during the performance. It was a love-fest between the artist and her devotees, Abrams held their hands as she sang to them, she got off the stage and hugged members of the crowd. Abrams stopped the show at one point when a few fans needed medical attention— handling the crisis with care and resuming the show after helping them to safety.
Abrams is on a trajectory to be a major star in the pop music world, and her fans at this
weekend’s shows seemed to relish this moment to see her up close in a relatively small room. The next time she takes the stage in her hometown it may well be in vastly larger venues, leaving those who experienced the show at the El Rey to have shared an intimate moment with Abrams that likely will not be repeated.
Photos and Review by Carly Jean Sharp