By Madelline Gastelo
A lone door stands center stage as chilling music plays. Fog fills the room and the crowd cheers in anticipation. The music continues and pretty soon, the cheering stops. The ominous music continues in that dark room until Mitksi appears, stage left in a long blue dress, appearing slightly ghastly and ethereal. Outward she looks, as she slowly and gracefully approaches the center stage.
Mitski performed in Los Angeles on March 3rd and 4th athlete Shrine Exposition Hall, in the center of the University of Southern California. Among the college students, were long lines of fans waiting to get into the venue, lined up and down Jefferson.
This is her first time touring since 2019, and fans were more than excited to see her live again, seeing that her two L.A. shows, as well as the rest of her tour, have sold out.
The show, which began at around 8:30 P.M. first opened with Japanese rock band CHAI, an exuberant group that entertained with synchronized dances and lively techno-rock pop music. Using a variety of instruments ranging from classical guitar and drums to electronic keyboards, the band had a unique sound, and they constantly emphasized in loud cheers to "be happy and have fun!"
Mitski soon followed and opened with the song, "Love Me More," from the newest album Laurel Hell, which felt like a stark difference to CHAI's upbeat music, but was not unsettling n any way.
Her setlist, which ran for 23 songs, was performed with no breaks, except for when an attendee passed out, to which she stopped performing and got them help. At times Mitski would frolic around the stage, or by the end of some songs, she'd be on the floor. The silence of a finished song allowed for sobs to be heard as some attendees were moved by Mitski's emotive performance.
It seems that this vulnerability is what fans appreciate. "This person gets what I'm going through," said 21-year old Leila as she waited in line outside, hours before the show began.
Mitski at the Shrine Auditorium
Reach out to Madelline at gastelom@uci.edu!
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