As I entered MTELUS on May 14th, the excitement from Madison Beer‘s fans was palpable. I made sure to get to the venue early because I wanted to take advantage of every single second of the openers and the energy of the crowd. Madison completely sold out MTELUS, and as I approached the venue, I could already see the camaraderie and the time that fans took to ensure they were there early to get a good spot in the crowd. They dressed for the occasion!
There were girls taking pictures of their outfits, complimenting each other, taking pictures for strangers, and swapping Instagrams with new friends. There’s something magical about a concert where you can tell the fans cared so much that they had a Pinterest board for outfit ideas. The number of cute bows and blue denim jeans I saw made me feel confident in my own final choice for the evening of a white cropped top and light blue denim Levi’s.
Before any of the artists took the stage, the vibe of the crowd was like a middle school birthday party—raw excitement combined with eating way too much sugary candy and gushing about who your latest crush is while smiling and expanding the circle as more friends arrived and joined in. I saw stickers, Instax photos being swapped and admired, quick bow fixes, and last-minute selfies before the lights went down. Everyone looked like they could recommend me the perfect lipgloss, and I love that for them.
The crowd was absolutely electric, and every time a song ended on the pre-show playlist, the crowd went wild, screaming and chanting, “Madison! Madison! Madison!” I’m sure all the girlies with white bows felt vindicated when Madison emerged on the stage in a custom white Bye Bambi dress and matching leg warmers, adding a tiara to complete the look when she sang “King of Everything.”
One notable part of the concert that can’t be overlooked or understated—but had nothing to do with Madison or her performance—was the horrendous heat inside MTELUS. The first girl who fainted didn’t even make it till the end of the second opener, Charlotte Lawrence, which is when the security guards began alternating which emergency exit door was opened on the balcony level. I saw multiple unconscious people carried out of the venue and vomiting from the heat.
At one point, I realized I was starting to show signs of heat exhaustion. While I was outside on the fire escape to cool down on a 20-degree evening in Montréal, I could see steam rising out of the open door frame. I cannot imagine how hot it gets in the middle of summer. All the performers commented on the heat and had to stop the show multiple times to help people standing in the pit. It genuinely didn’t seem safe to have so many people in such a hot and crowded building.
It is a testament to how much Madison’s fans truly love her that I met multiple fans who were struggling to catch their breath or stand and were more worried about missing even a second of her performance than their own well-being. And it’s obvious that Madison loves her fans just as much. She even changed the lyrics at the end of “Reckless” to “Montréal, I’m so sorry if you relate,” which was a well-thought-out and personal touch.
Due to the numerous faintings and other medical emergencies, the show ended up running over the 11 pm curfew. Madison ended up not doing an encore, electing to play the entire setlist from beginning to end, inclusive of the songs that have been listed as encore songs for other tour dates. Prioritizing both the health and entertainment of her fans shows how seriously Madison takes her career and how much she cares about the experiences of her fans.
It’s hard not to feel like you’re the only one in the room when Madison sings. She shimmered like a mirage under the blinding lights and the heat of the room, bedazzled in rhinestones and a million-dollar smile. She has a dreamy but powerful voice reminiscent of the pop princesses and soundtracks of your favourite cult classic movies that fill you with nostalgia. You can’t help but sway to the beat and feel like she gets you on a deeper level than some (most) of your exes. If you love “Heathers,” “Jennifer’s Body,” and “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” you should check out Madison Beer’s music ASAP.
Setlist:
- Home to Another One
- Good in Goodbye
- Sweet Relief
- Showed Me (How I Fell In Love With You)
- 17
- I Wonder
- Silence Between songs
- Dear Society
- Nothing Matters but You
- Envy the Leaves
- Stained Glass
- Homesick
- Selfish
- At Your Worst
- Ryder
- Dangerous
- Reckless
- I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl by Nina Simone (interlude)
- Make You Mine
- BOYSHIT (last song that started before 11pm)
- Baby
- Heartless (just the voicemail is full bit)
- Follow the White Rabbit
- Spinnin
- King of everything
Review – Ashtyn Turner
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