CONCERT CAPSULE: GRACIE ABRAMS
Credit of Interscope Records. Protected under fair use.
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Just this past fall, I had the pleasure of going to two nights of Gracie Abrams shows on her Secret of Us Tour in Denver, Colorado. I spent both nights at the show dancing with friends, crying my eyes out, and screaming her lyrics so loudly I lost my voice.
While these shows were extremely therapeutic, and just what every girl needs to experience after a break up, she offered more than therapy. Gracie offered a safe place to express your emotions and feel the same things she felt while writing her sophomore album “The Secret of Us”.
Sarah McKay says, “She came out on stage and I just started crying, just in awe of her. Her presence and performance was life-changing and inspiring. She’s someone I’ve looked up to for so long, so seeing her in person was just something I didn’t even think was real until she was right there.”
Gracie Abrams did a phenomenal job incorporating her brand and theme of the album into her live shows. Using herself as a brand helps the fans get a more authentic experience from their favorite artist, and really leans into having her as a “friend,” which is something I know her fans appreciate.
Gracie truly does put on an incredible show with or without a better fan experience. An example of this is actually the standard she has set for her fans through her influence and personality. Everyone is so kind and welcoming it truly makes the concert experience for everyone that much better. You could see this as fans traded Gracie-themed friendship bracelets with each other in line, or as we were waiting for Gracie to come on stage. You could also see this in the fan-made chants screamed in songs like ‘Blowing Smoke’, ‘I Miss You, I’m Sorry’, and ‘Friend’. As a newer Gracie fan, I appreciated these moments. It truly made me proud to be a fangirl.
Gretta Barrios says it best, ” It’s difficult to say that any artist...has the capacity to care about their fans from more than a surface level, but when it comes to Gracie it really feels like she is taking into consideration her fans input, and that being with them has a positive impact for her in more than just monetary reasons. When you see the way she talks to her supporters, you can see she genuinely appreciates them, which makes it hard to not want to be a fan of hers.”
Watching Gracie perform on stage was another level. You may think she’s an incredible singer while listening to her music on streaming platforms, but the runs and harmonizing she did live were spectacular. I’ve never heard an artist sound even better live, so this was truly breathtaking to watch and hear.
Through her set, she would continuously make sure everyone in the crowd was okay and having a good time. I’ve noticed a spike in artists doing this recently because of the lack of concert etiquette at some shows, but luckily, at Gracie’s show, everyone enjoyed themselves and looked out for one another. This is just another example of the welcoming fandom she has created.
Photo By Kaitlin McKay
She also took the time to share some of her deeper thoughts, feelings that she felt, and experiences while writing her album. It was very cool to get to hear her share her experiences because it’s not something a lot of artists do. It’s one thing to share your experiences through song, but to do it live in front of a crowd is another story; one we all appreciated.
As I mentioned above, there is a very big community in the Gracie fandom. As a result of the friendships formed between fans, Gracie offered a way for more of those connections to be made at her “After the Show Debriefs”. At every tour stop, Gracie had made sure to plan a debrief at a local coffee shop. At these specific shops, there would be a Gracie-themed drink, a pin that said, “I went to the Secret of Us Tour, and all I got was this pin,” and a long line of fans out the door.
My friends and I met a few different groups of people at our debrief, traded concert experiences and friendship bracelets while enjoying our coffee and pastries. I thought this was a very cool way for Gracie to show her fans that she sees them and the friendships they’ve created with each other.
All of those special things aside, my favorite thing about Gracie is that the presence of friendship is overwhelming.
You see it in the way Gracie interacts with the crowd between songs, like her small waves to the crowd, her holding fans hands on the barricade and singing directly to them as they cry tears of joy physically moved by her lyrics, to tying ribbons in each others hair (Gracie fans and bows go hand-in-hand, you can’t have one without the other) and the swapping of friendship bracelets from fan to fan. It makes the show that much more of an experience to remember, and one that differs from other live shows.
Going to a Gracie show feels like seeing a friend for the first time in a while. She makes you feel seen and understood with her lyrics and personality, and because of that, I am forever grateful I got to experience “The Secret of Us” Tour.
Listen to The Secret of Us (Deluxe) here.
