Before delving into this review, I have to emphasize how this night was truly designed For The Gays. It’s difficult to express my excitement adequately – from the drag (the phenomenal Mirage opening the night) to covering Madonna and sampling Chaka Khan – the set in its entirety exuded queer joy. Not confined to the mid-twenties party crowd, the show welcomed all ages. While I typically have reservations about sharing my space with youngsters, witnessing young families bring their kids to such an energetic, fun, and inclusive event warmed my little gay heart. If anything, singing along with the next generation made the concert even more meaningful [concludes sappy intro].
It had been over half a decade since I last saw Ralph perform, and her opening act for Rêve was the perfect reintroduction to her music. A reintroduction was absolutely necessary since she has not only grown as a vocal artist but also as a performer. Ralph’s stage presence is confident, bubbly, and energetic; her music has always reflected this, but the refinement from the past years is apparent. She had no problem warming up the crowd; we were dancing and belting along by the first chorus. Not only has she grown as an artist and singer, but her maturity and confidence as a performer are also apparent. Even if you weren’t familiar with her music, the vibe alone transported you (me) to a beach in the sun, ready to party with her. Hard to believe after the tragic dump of snow we had this spring, but seeing her pop princess self dance on stage in an oversized tee with a bikini printed on it (need a visual aid? Think of every dad grilling at his BBQ, wearing it ironically or otherwise) helped. Oh, and it was paired with fishnets, naturally. And it slayed, naturally.
Ralph wrapped up, and after a quick scene change, the stage was transformed into a red-lit, sexy, sultry (dare I say, dramatic) dance floor filled with Rêve‘s incredible backup dancers. I wasn’t expecting such a production at Théâtre Fairmount, but this troupe DELIVERED. Seeing her strut out in a leather number was more than enough to convince me that we were in for a killer performance. On top of that, she had a personal connection to the venue – this was her first time performing in her hometown in years, and she even had her family in the crowd to cheer her on! It meant so much to her, and you could tell she was putting her soul into this show, even with mum hanging out at the bar. I’ve been watching drag with my parents since high school, but singing along to Ru Paul in your living room is not exactly the same as belting “I love the taste of your tongue / I love the thing that it does” in front of your parents (major kudos to Rêve, but also props to them for being insanely cool??).
Of course, they’re cool, though; just take a look at her setlist. The track titles provide a pretty bang-on representation of the type of people who make up her crowds. The night was a perfect mix of originals from her most recent album (Saturn Return), collabs, throwbacks, and lesser-known singles. The type of high-energy, synth-heavy club tunes we were expecting and a couple of extra gay anthems for good measure. And as if the crowd needed even more energy, she ended the night with an unreleased banger (because she CARES).
After raving this much about Rêve, I think I’ve made it pretty obvious that I’m a fan. Being able to see her perform up close was a treat, and I was grateful for the intimate venue, but I think this woman belongs in a stadium. The vocals alone were outstanding, and the dancers elevated the show to an honest-to-goodness jaw-dropping experience. The exact words I jotted down between songs were “hyper pop ballad, disco queen”, and I am only prepared to add accolades to that description going forward. I would happily accept a second show at Théâtre Fairmont – but I only have one request for next time. No more weeknight shows because once she started hyping us up, the crowd was ready to go ALL. NIGHT. LONG.
Thanks for reading my ramble. See y’all in the crowd xx
Setlist:
- Tongue
- All Night & Every Day
- Big Boom
- Contemporary Love
- Disco At The Strip Club
- Hung Up (Madonna)
- 212 (Azealia Banks, Lazy Jay)
- Breaking Up with Jesus
- I’m the Moment (UNRELEASED)
- Headphones
- Past Life
- Whitney
- Saturn Return
Review – Lauren Maddock
iPhone Photos – Daphne Miller
