If you’re familiar with my blogs, you probably know I go to a lot of concerts, especially for female alternative/indie artists. My most recent live music venture was to see Clairo on November 1 at Franklin Music Hall, a general admission Philadelphia venue. I was worried I would have to miss this one at first because while Clairo is one of my favorite artists, when tickets first went on sale, the prices were astronomical for a GA venue. After refreshing the page a bunch of times, prices came down a bit, and I jumped at the change. I still overspent compared to what I’ve paid for other shows at this venue, but I justified it for Clairo.

My girlfriend, Brena, has a broken foot, so we showed up to the show later than I normally like to so she wouldn’t have to stand for as long. (I’m only five feet tall, so if I am to have any hope of seeing, I need to get there early!) I tried not to let my spot in the back get me down, but I was disappointed I couldn’t see Clairo on stage at all unless I was on my tiptoes. But I tried my best to get a blurry far-away photo for the blog.

Despite me not having a great view, the music is what mattered, and Clairo sounded incredible. This was my second time seeing her, and her live vocals blew me away the first time. She’s just a great live artist. Her arrangements also sound particularly fresh and rich compared to the album recordings. The crowd was super enthusiastic, and everyone was singing along with hits like “Bags” and “Sexy to Someone.” I also loved the set design of the stage. There was a big circular light above Clairo that was alternately raised and lowered for different songs, creating a more cozy and intimate vibe when it was lowered.

Though Brena had to leave about three-quarters of the way through the show to go sit in the very back of the venue with the moms to rest her foot, I had a great time seeing one of my favorite artists. And since that show, Clairo’s third album, Charm, was nominated for a well-deserved Grammy!

— Hannah Gruen, advertising & events coordinator