1. The LGBTQ scene came out in full force for a magnetic evening. The aisles brimmed with same-sex couples PDA-ing it up before, during and even after Carly Rae Jepsen and Empress Of took the stage. Jepsen’s breathy hooks and candied pop melodies have been a hit with the queer community ever since the days of “Call Me Maybe.” And Jepsen’s opener, the bilingual pop sensation Empress Of, has also lauded praise for associating her songcraft with queer contemporaries like Blood Orange and Perfume Genius. It felt great to see the community out and proud on this night, embracing one another and the wondrous music that brought it together.
2. Empress Of set the table as a pop-show primer. The Honduran-American Empress, born Lorely Rodriguez, took an experimental approach to her opening set. A trio of large mirrors framed around her as she danced through her mystic and almost tribal pop hits, including “Save Me” and “Turn the Table.” Backed by a DJ who churned out beats behind the decks, Rodriguez spun circles around the stage for “Wild Girl,” appearing as free and spirited as the song name suggested. It’s wonderful to see her touring with such a performative headliner as Jepsen, from whom she will no doubt learn a lot.
3. Carly Rae Jepsen brought the showmanship. Confetti cannons burst from the ceilings as Jepsen opened with the buoyant “This Love Isn’t Crazy.” She dazzled, to put it quite simply, traversing the stage in shimmering copper and leather, skin-tight pants. Backed by a full band and two vocalists, Jepsen’s pop-laden catalog shined with the extra effort, taking hits like “Run Away With Me” and “Emotion” to anthemic new heights. At one point, her synth-player broke out a saxophone for an iconic few solos, and the band’s guitarist hopped behind a drum machine for the instrumentally rich “Cry.”
The singer amped up the flirtation and humor by way of banter. During Dedicated opener “Julien” she confided in the crowd that, “Julien was a dick, guys. But it makes for a great musical name.” That firecracker energy prevailed through the night. She danced around in a catsuit and sampled two tracks from her new album, The Loneliest Time, which drops October 21. She shook her blonde mane to the rockier cuts on Dedicated. And she even invited fans onstage for “When I Needed You.”
It’s been a while since the Theater at Virgin transformed into a proper dance hall, but chances are good that we wore the foundation out on this night. The joy surrounding Jepsen’s style of pop and heavily shaded disco kept smiles plastered on fans’ faces. The “Call Me Maybe” singer continues to prove she's so much more than one viral hit. In fact, she’s full of them.
