In front of a passionate and energized crowd, Nessa Barrett delivered a strong and intimate performance. Originally slated to perform at Howard Theatre, Barrett was quickly upgraded to the much larger venue at The Anthem. Having been to several shows over the years, I’ve come to know the challenges such a jump in venue space can present, from production size to ticket sales to the performance itself. Many times today we see artists blow up bigger than their experience can handle, and more often than not the show falls flat. Friday night, this was not the case — Nessa worked the big stage very well as she made her rounds to every side of the crowd while delivering beautiful vocals, with the band and production crew making this show feel as if she should’ve been there all along.
For me, what stuck out most about this show was the fans, despite the crowd attendance occupying half of the venue space. It felt as if everyone that was there knew just about every word to every song. From the back, I marveled at the amount of positive energy that radiated through the crowd. As I watched everyone punch and scream to the lyrics of “die first” and “i hope you’re miserable until ur dead,” it brought me back to the days where I fell in love with music myself, and it was a surreal experience watching that happen to the next generation on a night many people won’t forget. Check out Nessa Barrett’s setlist below:
madhouse
talk to myself
decay
too hot to cry
god’s favorite
scare myself
dear god
tired of california
deathmatch
american jesus
lovebomb
lucky star
do you really want to hurt me?
gaslight
die first
BANG BANG!
Encore:
unnecessary violence
i hope ur miserable until ur dead
Photos & Words: Jacob Castillo