A sold out sign rolling across an electric marquee and a line of people that extended well into a covered parking lot a block away from the venue is a rare, but welcome sight to see these days. But in the pandemic-era of concerts, it is an encouraging sign. Friday’s show at The Fillmore was the first show ive attended since 2020 that had that scrolling sold out sign on the marquee, and I was impressed to see that for such a recent artist as Clairo
Most people know Clairo from her song Sophia which made the rounds as a popular Tik Tok soundbite last year. Since then she’s released a new album titled Sling in June of 2021, and is touring behind it this spring. She’s part of the big emerging trend of DIY/Bedroom Pop artists garnering millions and millions of streams online. In the past, i havent seen this translate to ticket sales for other artists, however tonight definitely was not the case.
Fans were packed to the rail to see Clairo. A man on the rail offered $400 for someone to go and buy merch for them so they didn’t leave their spot. Masked up and phones in hand, It’s been a long time since Ive seen fans this wide-eyed and starstruck to see an artist on stage. I think it surprised Clairo, too. A few songs into her set, she greeted the audience who replied in a response of shrieks and cheers. Clairo looked at her band shocked, with her jaw dropped. She would go on to call us the loudest crowd of the tour so far, and I think she genuinely meant it.
The songs were mostly Sling focused, featuring all 12 songs on the album, out of the 20 songs she played for the evening. Some songs, like Amoeba and North even had the chaperone dads I stood next to wagging their knees. For the diehard Clario fans, songs like Impossible and Bags from 2019’s Immunity made the setlist, as well as the Youtube-sensation Pretty Girl featured on 2018’s Diary 001 EP with Rejjie Snow. Clairo’s no stranger to collaboration, and even duetted Blouse with opening act Arlo Parks mid way through her set.
Overall, The word that kept coming back to mind for me Friday night was Pleasant. Clario doesn’t have too many upbeat dance numbers, but then again, neither does the DIY genre as a whole. It’s all about making the best feeling song you can in the confines of your room. Clairo’s stage certainly felt that way, with area rugs, big, overarching lamps on each side of the stage, and large, warm paper lamps near each band member. Her music and her stage brought the audience closer to the feeling of being in a much smaller room than what The Fillmore should be capable of. Very pleasant indeed!
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