By Lily Suckow Ziemer

Even with just an hour to spare before the Roadrunner’s doors were set to open, the line outside of the venue was short— not even close to wrapping around the building. I was a little concerned… I didn’t think Rina Sawayama (she/her) was indie. Those who were there, though, were decked out in cowboy hats, characteristic of her “This Hell” music video. It was clear everyone was enthusiastic, even if they weren’t willing to stand out in the cold for more than a couple of hours.

About half an hour after fans were first allowed to filter in, local Boston drag queen and DJ Coleslaw (she/they) came out to warm up the crowd. It was a little underwhelming to watch her fiddle around on her laptop while bobbing her head and taking sips of her drink. For the first half of her set, she barely interacted with the crowd— possibly because many people were still filing in. Every once in a while she would pause the ground-shaking bass to moan into the microphone, which was part funny, part awkward, given how little she had said to us. However, the second half of her set got progressively better as she played more popular songs like “Beez In The Trap” by Nicki Minaj and “Misery Business” by Paramore. She made a few jokes, got the crowd singing along, and hyped up Rina. It was a good set overall, but the anticipation for the main act was apparent.

At 9 p.m., Rina appeared, walking up a hidden set of stairs to a large platform center stage. She wore an all-denim look: a mini skirt, buttoned shirt, large cape, and of course, her signature cowboy boots and hat. Screams quickly turned into tears from some audience members as she began her emotional song, “Minor Feelings.” Soon, two backup dancers appeared from the same hidden entrance. Rina shed the cloak, beginning to dance to “Hold The Girl.” 

I was immediately enraptured by her performance. Even between sections of choreography, she had an incredible stage presence. A fan positioned just out of the crowd’s line of sight made her hair flutter as though she were a model, and her genuine smile at seeing the mass of fans was contagious.

Making her way down the platform, Rina came to a single mic stand to set her intentions for the crowd. She established that by the end of the show the audience would be “leaving happier, more healed, and more yourself than when you first came in.” Her calming voice and the ambient background noise made it feel as though I were listening to a guided meditation. The moment was touching, and she encouraged a sense of community amongst the crowd. 

Finally, she gave an overview of what would follow: “We’re gonna take a little journey. First, we’re gonna go through a little bit of 2000s rock-pop. Then we’re gonna get a little bit dark, then maybe explore some dark-electro, some industrial, maybe even some new metal. And then we’re gonna let our emotions come to the front, and sing some country ballads together. And at the end, we’re all gonna get involved because we’re gonna slay real hard and make sure we’re all dancing. Are you ready to take off, Boston?”

After singing “Hurricanes,” Rina left for a costume change, but in the meantime, her guitarist and drummer launched into their respective solos. Ordinarily, this would likely fade into background noise, but the two musicians stole the show. Their stage presence and musical talent had the audience cheering along and filming. Then, to the stage flooded with green lights, Rina and her two dancers reappeared. Within this section of the show, I especially enjoyed “Imagining.” It was already one of my favorite songs going into the concert, but as Rina and her dancers donned hooded sweatshirts and began their dynamic choreography, I fell in love with the song even more.

When Rina left the stage for the second time, her dancers continued to perform. Just like the guitarist and drummer, they held the crowd’s attention with their talent. The crowd was immediately taken with them, cheering on their every move.

To begin the slower part of the concert, Rina changed into an all-white outfit which she called “discombobulated jellyfish couture,” and performed “Bad Friend.” After this, she went into a long conversation with the fans. Everyone put their phones down to listen to Rina open up about her journey through therapy. Everyone started to tear up, myself included, as she told us that healing is possible.

After singing a few more slow songs, including a Brandi Carlile cover, she built back up to some of her biggest hits, like “LUCID” and “XS.” The mood became more upbeat and everyone wiped their tears and started to dance. 

For her final showstopper, Rina once again donned a cowboy hat, creating a chain reaction in the crowd who had been waiting for this moment, and began “This Hell.” As the music built, she slowly spoke: “I’m here to tell you, that all you sinners, are all going to hell!” The line was met with ecstatic screams. In the final bridge, Rina cut the audience off midline. She instructed  the crowd to split in half, and then all of the house lights rose so that audience members could see each other. In a call and response, one side shouted the lyric “Got my invitation to eternal damnation,” to which the others replied: “Get in line, pass the wine, bitch / We’re going straight to hell!” After repeating this a couple of times, Rina jumped in to finish the song as the crowds merged to dance together.

In an amazing show of talent on all fronts, Rina’s “Hold The Girl Tour” accomplished exactly what she wanted: she made the crowd feel happier, healthier, and more ourselves.