Being squeezed into a space too small to comfortably occupy with limited viewpoints was not how I foresaw my evening playing out. Yet, an overall infatuation with the surrounding music pulled me into a wondrous trance and headspace, where I did not care about anything else. 

Just an hour earlier, I had been pleasantly sitting on the floor basking in the excitement of what would arrive shortly. But when you stand at five feet tall and are in the pit of a concert, the comfortability wears off quickly. 

An hour later, I was stuck in the sweaty cluster of fellow concert-goers, hearing audience members exclaim things like, “I need to take my second BeReal!” and “I LOVE YOU!”

Including two separate openers, Reneé Rapp’s Oct. 7 concert was a show to behold. Bringing energetic, empowering vibes, Towa Bird excited the audience. With songs going out to all the bisexuals or renters wishing to give their landlords a piece of their minds, there was a way for everyone to raise their energy. 

The second opener was one near and dear to Rapp’s heart, Alexander 23. Co-writing and producing “Snow Angel,” he more than earned the opportunity to showcase his own talents, and perfectly executed the challenge of preparing the audience for the main event. Covering “Steal My Girl” by One Direction and playing his best hits, it is safe to say the crowd fell in love with the 28-year-old American singer-songwriter. 

Now that the audience was buzzing with excitement, the long wait for Rapp began. As anybody who has been to a concert knows, this is the worst part of any show. One minute feels like 10, people are anxiously bouncing in an attempt to keep their energy in, and I began to rethink why this sounded like a fun idea. But the lights dimmed, and I was overtaken with enough adrenaline to make this, once again, the best idea ever. 

Screaming, loud enough that I felt the force of it, ruptured from every crowd member and filled any vacant space left in the theater. It seemed like a worthy welcome, however, as Rapp stepped onto the stage with a grandiloquent entrance.  

Starting off with two upbeat, peppy songs, “Talk Too Much” and “Poison Poison,” the audience jumped while singing their hearts out. And it quickly became clear how Rapp has gotten to where she is. 

Self-confident, charismatic and witty, she danced her way around the entire stage. Only concerned with having fun, Rapp carried an authentic vibe through her whole setlist.

“Willow,” with lyrics directed towards an individual facing the challenges of growing up, and “Pretty Girls,” emphasizing attraction, manipulation and self-deception, had the whole audience singing along. With the majority of Rapp’s demographic being queer women in their 20s, these songs portrayed collective emotions. 

As “Tummy Hurts” began to play, loud cheers from the crowd ensued. Towa Bird had sauntered onstage, with her guitar and a beaming smile. The original song was more of a slow, pop song, but it became a whole new vibe with Bird’s added rock elements. And the two put on quite a show as they danced and sang together.

Rapp had one more surprise up her sleeve as she invited her other opener and collaborator onstage for “I Wish.” A slower melody with heartfelt lyrics came alive as Rapp’s outstanding vocals took the song to a whole new level. Featuring Alexander in the live performance gave a whole new sense of personability to the observing audience. 

As most artists are doing nowadays, Rapp included an encore in her established setlist. This allowed her to make an epic exit that stayed with the crowd as they exited the venue. Returning after the short intermission, Rapp appeared in an all-white suit, making her an angel with the wings projected on the screen behind her. A truly angelic performance ensued, with vocals reverberating off the detailed Paramount Theater ceilings and bringing the audiences together to sing the choruses along Rapp.

Even though the squishy crowd had me doubting if I would enjoy my time, Rapp and her openers brought a performance that was hard to not fall in love with. I highly encourage anyone to see Reneé Rapp live if the option ever presents itself.