REVIEW: Fletcher gets real and raw at the Fillmore
SAN FRANCISCO — Fletcher said the second show of her sold-out headlining U.S. tour, Monday at the Fillmore, was the biggest she’d ever played.
The majestic stage design seemed to take up every inch of the stage. There was a giant structure, made to resemble New York, had cutouts for two guitarists and drummer, with Fletcher herself coming out to smoke and lights on top. The structure actually looked a bit like the ones used during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Why New York? Both her latest EP, The S(ex) Tapes, and album, You Ruined New York City for Me, take place there. It’s where Fletcher, whose name is Cari Fletcher, and her ex broke up. That also made for a vulnerable performance, relatable to anyone who’s been through a breakup.
Fletcher opened with “girls girls girls,” “Forever” and “Cherry.” She climbed a ladder back to the top of the structure to sing “Undrunk” and then had attendees flip each other off during “Fuck You For Ruinin’ NYC For Me.” Her band members shined during “Silence.”
During “If I Hated You” and “The One,” she lied down to sing while raising her legs and thrusting her hips, and got so distracted she actually had to start one of the songs over. At one point, her microphone stopped working. While her crew were attempting to resolve the problem, Fletcher walked around signing women’s chests, much to their delight.
She ended the main set with new song “Bitter” before returning for an encore that included “For Cari,” an unreleased song that she said she wrote during a particularly low moment in her life, and “Healing.”
Australian singer-songwriter G Flip preceded Fletcher, sitting down at her drum kit, whom she’s named Jeromo, while a female voice introduced the artist.
The artist, whose name is Georgia Flipo, wore a white tank top, baggy jeans and trucker hat that recalled ’90s-era Avril Lavigne and Aaliyah.
G Flip (who uses they/them pronouns) seemed to be having a great time on stage with their drummer and guitarist. At one point they yelled the traditional Australian “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi” chant along with the crowd. G Flip jokingly invited everyone to their birthday in Australia and self-deprecatingly teased their Australian accent, saying their name was “Not J Flip, but G, as in girls and gay.”
G Flip opened set with “Hyperfine,” jumping off a raised platform and high-kicking, before moving on to “Scream” and “Queen,” a song dedicated to making sure people are proud to be themselves through difficult life experiences. G Flip then performed the newly released “Gay 4 Me,” before playing a drum solo mashup of songs like Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” and Ye’s “All of the Lights,” with lit-up drumsticks. They ended with the angsty “Drink Too Much.”
Singer-songwriter Amelia Moore, who said she was playing her “first show ever,” walked onto the stage in a neon jacket and hat, bright orange nails and futuristic hair to match.
She filled her set with breakup songs, which matched thematically with Fletcher’s. These included “Over My Ex,” for which she asked the crowd to, “Drink every time you hear the word ‘ex.’”
“Y’all should be tipsy,” she said.
Bassy single “sweet and sour” had a darker, angrier tone. Moore also covered Estelle’s “American Boy,” but made sure to replace the “he” pronouns with “she” instead.
Moore concluded with another post-breakup song.
Follow photographer Onome Uyovbievbo at Twitter.com/byonome and Instagram.com/by.onome.