On Thursday October 2, Reneé Rapp returned to Boston for the fifth stop of her Bite Me Tour, and yes, she played “I Hate Boston.”

Rapp stunned the crowd with adjective visuals, performances, and overall audience engagement. The visuals had an overall theme of red with the lights and the set, as well as intriguing graphics ranging from a broken glass effect on the screen to simple spotlight effects. The arena was filled with so many people that there were very few empty chairs in sight. Before the show began, a video of Rapp appeared on the screen announcing that she was partnering with Save The Children to help support the children of Gaza, Congo, Sudan, and everywhere else assistance is needed. She added that proceeds from select merchandise would be going directly to the organization.

The show began with a skit video in which the pop singer was being interrogated by characters all played by Rapp herself, leading to the introduction of her opening song “Leave Me Alone.” The song began with Rapp behind a red curtain before it lifted to reveal her standing on a pedestal, the beginning of an incredible theatrical performance.

Rapp’s show was opened by R&B artist Sydney Bennett, known professionally as Syd. I had not heard any of her music before attending the show, but her set greatly contributed to the upbeat vibe. The songs were soft and energetic, creating the perfect energy for the show. She played a mix of her own songs as well as a cover of Beyoncé’s "Plastic Off the Sofa," which she introduced by revealing she was a writer for, so should it really be considered a cover? Syd ended her set by announcing “Free Palestine” and leaving the stage.

Rapp’s setlist consisted of songs from her new album, Bite Me, as well as her previous album Snow Angel. Songs from her new album included “Leave Me Alone,” “Kiss It Kiss It,” “Mad,” as well as my personal favorites “Shy” and “I Bet You’d Like That Wouldn’t You.” From Snow Angel, she played songs such as “Talk Too Much,” "Poison Poison,” “Swim,” and most notably “I Hate Boston.” In total, Rapp played 21 songs, 11 of which came off the new album.

“I Hate Boston” was a special song specifically for Boston, of course, much like how she played “Colorado” in, you guessed it, Colorado. The crowd shouted in excitement when Rapp said, “This song is not usually on the setlist,” immediately knowing what song the artist was about to sing.

While some fans have expressed disappointment in Rapp’s tour outfits, they are likely an homage to pop star Kesha. Rapp has openly expressed admiration for the star, and the pair even collaborated at Coachella in 2024. If the audience was disappointed by her Boston show outfit, a casual Burbank t-shirt with a shiny silver top paired with ripped leggings and boots, the set definitely made up for it. One of the most interesting parts of the show was during “You’d Like That Wouldn’t You,” when the screen switched to a newspaper background with the live performance projected in front of it, with phrases such as “Reneé Rapp? You could be entitled to compensation” as well as other album imagery. The stage itself was shaped like a star, consistent with the overall star theme of the tour.

This concert was unreal for me. Not only was this my first time seeing Reneé Rapp, but this was also my first time at TD Garden. One of my favorite parts of the show was when Rapp made her way into the crowd during “Swim.” The screen projecting the show switched to a handheld camera, which Rapp carried around the crowd, including the audience in her performance. She frequently engaged with the crowd, which made the show personable and exciting. She spoke with the crowd often and called the audience “adorable” with a smile that lit up the whole room.

While Reneé chose not to do an encore, she sang about 20 seconds of the iconic “Not My Fault” from the 2024 movie-musical based on the Broadway show, Mean Girls, before moving on to “At Least I’m Hot,” which I believe is equally as iconic.

As Rapp closed out the night, she introduced her band as the audience cheered for each one of them individually. Ears ringing and excited voices filling the space left behind when the show stopped, I left knowing it was a concert worth remembering.

Does Reneé Rapp Still Hate Boston?