Clairo Charms Audiences at Roadrunner
All photos courtesy of Coby Sugars// TastemakersMag
Clairo doesn’t need a spotlight as she glides onto the stage, a striped dress hanging off one of her shoulders and black headphones placed comfortably over her ears. A golden sparkling curtain sways behind her and reflects soft beams of golden light all around the concert hall. The crowd’s energy shifts when they see her, but her movements aren’t that of someone with 3,000 pairs of eyes on her. Everything feels familiar.
It’s October 28th, the first day of three sold-out shows for Massachusetts-native, Claire Contrell. The singer grew up less than 30 minutes away from the Roadrunner theater in Carlisle, MA. Her presence in the indie-pop genre was immediately welcomed with her first single “Pretty Girl.” The song was released to YouTube, depicting a 19-year-old Contrell lip-syncing to the beautifully produced song she created from her bedroom. Ever since, the name “Clairo” has become synonymous with the candidness of bedroom pop.
The now 26-year-old artist has evolved exponentially from her lo-fi, bedroom pop debut album Immunity, to the folkier and more candid Sling, and now Charm—which has audiences obsessed with its experimental edge. Charm incorporates elements of jazz and R&B combined with Clairo’s soft vocals and intimate lyrics. The album was released on July 12, 2024, almost 3 years after her previous record. A tour was announced only 5 days later with 36 dates in 20 cities, including two in Boston as well as an extra date that would be added a few days later.
Her first show at Roadrunner was kicked off by South African indie-rock artist Alice Phoebe Lou. Lou’s unique vocals combine the flexibility and tone typical of jazz musicians with the grittiness of rock. The singer isn’t afraid to move on stage, her blonde hair flying wildly behind her as she floats through her 40-minute set.
After around 10 minutes of the crowd’s anticipation-filled waiting, the band begins to migrate on stage, Clairo standing front and center as the crowd’s cheers steadily grow louder. Her smile is almost bashful as the psychedelic melody of “Nomad” fills the room. Being the opening track to Charm, “Nomad” speaks to Contrell’s feelings of disconnection from her partner, noting how she’d “rather be alone than a stranger.” She’s leaving something behind with this song—having herself wonderfully untethered.
After her first song, Contrell takes some time to express how special this show is for her. “Boston means a lot to me,” she says into the microphone, causing the audience to whoop and cheer, “I mean, three sold-out shows—what the fuck?”
To the audience’s delight, Contrell takes it back to her early bedroom-pop days with songs like “Softly” off Immunity as well as two of her oldest singles “How” and “Flaming Hot Cheetos,” with people loudly singing along to the latter in particular. However, the best parts of the show are the performances of Charm, which feel more vulnerable than her older work. Clairo’s music is all about familiar intimacies—the brush of fingers against the cheek, a hand to grip in yours—her performance of her new album retains a similar feeling.
During a brief pause in the show for security reasons, Contrell teases the audience after they call out for her to play Immunity hit, “Sofia,” a song detailing the artist’s complicated sapphic relationship. She answers jokingly, “We probably could,” but before the crowd can cheer, she adds, “But it won’t be tonight.” Though “Sofia” is a well-loved song, its absence wasn’t felt as Contrell signaled the show's resumption with “Bambi,” a surprise song off of Sling.
One of the most notable points of the show came when a circular panel came down from the stage’s ceiling, emitting a glow of light onto Contrell as she sang the beginning of the Broadcast-inspired song, “Echo.” The previously warm lighting turns and cools into a moondust-like silver, the stage lighting dimming slowly as the panel becomes the main source of light. The darker shift on the stage sets the tone for the next few songs, “Glory of the Snow,” “Slow Dance,” and the folksy “Harbor.” The latter song was especially emotional for the singer and the audience. “Harbor,” the final track on Sling, details the end of illusions created by unrequited love.
The end of her show was defined by the last four songs, which Contrell introduces by asking, “Boston, can I get you guys dancing?” She begins with “Amoeba,” one of the most popular songs off Sling. Its upbeat production reveals Contrell’s inner thoughts about losing track of what’s important. She follows this with the equally upbeat, but secretly depressing song “Bags,” which has everyone at Roadrunner screaming the lyrics. She ends the show with the ever-relatable “Sexy to Someone,” and jazz-infused “Juna.” She repeats the final chorus of “Juna,” softly singing, “You know me…You know me. And I just might know you, too.”
We have all gotten to know each other during a few hours of music and dancing—Contrell’s music binding the audience with her soft-sung lyrics like secrets whispered into each of our ears. As an artist, Clairo has always stayed true to her emotions, and the maturity of her character has shone through in Charm and her performances. Her talent and stardom can only go up from here, but as for now, listen to Charm on your preferred streaming platform.
Oh, and if you’re waiting to hear about the encore—we’re still waiting for it, too.