23-year-old singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams kicked off her “Good Riddance” tour in celebration of her new album by the same title just last week, and I had the pleasure of seeing her show in Boston.
Determined to see one of our favorite artists up close, my friends and I arrived at the venue around 12:30 pm. Doors were not set to open until 7pm, and yet the line had already begun to weave its way up the block by the time we arrived. We set up shop and made some friends in line, through whom we learned that the first in line had arrived at around 5 am. The cold was no match for our excitement to see Gracie, though, so we would brave it until the doors opened.
Around 7 pm the line (that had now wound around the entire block surrounding the venue) started to move, and we entered the historic House of Blues in Boston. After an hour of settling in and taking turns squatting to give our legs a break, the lights dimmed and the openers, Tiny Habits, took the stage. A band born out of Boston’s Berklee School of Music, Tiny Habits was very excited and emotional to perform a hometown show at the Fenway venue. The three members– Maya Rae, Cinya Khan, and Judah Mayowa– lit up the stage with their intimate set. Their own friendship and joy for their music came through immensely as they sang through their upcoming EP, “tiny things,” as well as an airy, sweet cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”. Their seamless harmonies and cozy riffs left many fans teary eyed during their set, providing the perfect emotional warm up for Abrams’ performance to come.
Soon after, the lights darkened and lights all across the stage began to glow before Gracie waltzed out and began “Where do we go now?,” a single from her newest album. She sang through a mixture of her newest album and some of her older hits, including a creative mashup of the newer “Will you cry?” and her 2021 EP track, “Camden” that sent waves of pleasant shock through the crowd as she transitioned between the songs.
Abrams lit up the stage with her presence and excitement for performing, frequently interacting with the crowd, smiling and waving and returning hand-hearts. Before the show a group of dedicated fans passed out cut out stars for the crowd to hold up as she sang the lyrics “What was I thinking looking for a sign/ As if I’ve ever seen the stars align,” and Abrams was touched by the fan gesture. A technical difficulty with her in-ears during “Full Machine” proved the artist’s absolute professionalism and talent and she remained calm and on key, while urging the crowd to sing louder as she joked, “Sing extra loud, I can’t hear myself for shit!”. Her setlist showcased all aspects of her artistry, from her powerful voice to her guitar and piano playing skills, creating a perfect combination of dancing and jumping as well as crying from the audience.
This Boston show featured a few distinctly special moments, namely the inclusion of her unreleased song, “Abby”. The song was written for her cousin Abby, and as she was in attendance at the show, Gracie played it specially for her. Best friends clutched hands across the room and there was not a dry eye in the house, including Gracie’s, as she sang to her close friend.
Another special moment came after the show, as Gracie peeked back out onto the stage after her final song, explaining that she usually does not have an encore, but she felt one was necessary for the Boston show. She introduced the song as one she wrote while missing Boston in particular, and she felt it was only right to play for us then. After her introduction she plopped back down at her signature red piano to sing “Augusta” from her 2021 EP “This Is What It Feels Like”. The crowd screamed the opening lyric, “Feel like maybe I might go to Boston” as she celebrated the city with the exclusive encore.
Her show was an electrifying, emotional, and exceptional portrait of her artistry and proof of her talent. Abrams is set to open for a slew of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” shows later this year, and she is undoubtedly up to the challenge and honor. Abrams has the unique ability to make each fan in the room feel seen with her charming presence and intimate, honest lyrics; one cannot help but fall in love with her music. Gracie’s popularity is growing at quite a massive rate following the release of her new album and the announcement of her opening for Swift, and though it’s difficult to watch a once small fan base grow around you, she is all deserving of her success. The “Good Riddance” tour is running until April, and she begins her collaboration with Swift in between her own shows. If the elusive tickets find their way near your hands, I highly suggest you grab onto them and see Abrams for yourself, in perhaps her last run in warm theater-style venues as she continues on an upward trajectory through the industry.