10.01.23 – Photos by Emma Redinger / Review by McKenna Klaphake

Viral Gen Z pop sensation, Chappell Roan sold out First Avenue’s main stage on Sunday, October 1st. Roan’s cult following excitedly packed the room while dressed to match the theme of the night; angels and devils. Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, has become known for her spunky pop tracks that, “…combine fantastical narratives and heart-bearing self-reflection.” (First Avenue)

The show was Roan’s first time headlining but third time performing at First Avenue, as she supported artists Vance Joy in 2017 and more recently, Fletcher in 2022. Since those early days in the artist’s career, she has only exploded in popularity as many of the songs off of her 2023 album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, have gone viral on Tik Tok. Nearly every song has already garnered millions of streams since its debut in September. 

Instead of having the same opening act at every tour stop, Roan invited local drag queens from each city to start the show. For Minneapolis, local queens Tomi Saint James, Anne Noying, and Miz Frozaen warmed up the crowd with death drops and iconic lip syncs. 

Miz Frozaen acted as host and treated the performance like any other drag show. She opened with the usual rules that are communicated with attendees (ie: consent is mandatory, tipping is encouraged, and have fun.) The crowd could tip by either throwing dollars on stage or sending money through Venmo, which was linked on Roan’s instagram story later that night. 

Tomi Saint James was the first queen to perform on Sunday night and exemplified the beautiful result of mixing masculine and feminine energies. They lip synced to a mashup of Beyoncé songs, which made the crowd go crazy. Their ultra sparkly outfit contrasted against their thick beard, showing that gender is truly an illusion. 

Anne Noying performed second and showed the crowd what a true comedy queen is. She performed a medley of Katy Perry songs that had the Gen Z audience members singing along at the top of their lungs. The queen acted out comedic bits in every piece while also throwing in a couple of outfit changes before going into jaw dropping splits. 

Before the final queen took the stage, they chose one lucky fan from the audience who was awarded with a golden ticket. They were then allowed on stage, given a sash and crown and got to have the full pageant girl experience after being crowned “Miss Minneapolis.”

Host Miz Frozaen finished the opening set with a Britney Spears mashup that included songs like, “Baby One More Time,” “Toxic,” and “Womanizer.” The queen had multiple outfit changes, as she started in a school girl inspired outfit during “Baby One More Time” and ended in a sparkly unitard by the end of the performance. Miz Frozaen utilized the whole stage, often climbing on equipment and hanging from standing fixtures.

I have never experienced a show that had drag queens as the support acts, but I loved it. It catered to the largely queer audience in attendance while also encouraging support for the local queer community. Nobody gets a crowd warmed up and ready for the headlining act quite like drag queens. 

Chappell Roan started her show in what she later stated “… was genuinely the most chaotic entrance I’ve ever had.” The singer tripped over her boot that was coming undone as she wrestled with her mic pack through her huge angel wings. Roan was so out of breath and overwhelmed that she relied on the audience to sing most of her first song, “Feminomenon.” While she had to ditch the angel wings, the artist was still dressed like the most ethereal angel, donning a resin corset and lots of pearls. Roan maintained a steady jog through many of the songs, an act that requires immense stamina and training (according to a Tik Tok by Roan.) But she didn’t sweat; she glowed, further adding to her angelic image. The singer was also supported by a full band who all wore matching devil outfits to fit the theme. Chappell Roan is for the girls, gays, and theys as she writes songs about queer love (Kaleidescope) and finding belonging (Pink Pony Club.) Her songs are catchy and exude sex positivity (Casual) and will have listeners feeling empowered (Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl.)

Roan’s loyal fans sang along to every song and never even missed an ad lib during “Red Wine Supernova.” The song is upbeat and spunky and continues the songwriters theme of singing about taboo topics like sex with lyrics like, “I heard you like magic / I got a wand and a rabbit / So baby, let’s get freaky, get kinky / Let’s make this bed get squeaky.”

Roan plays around with sounds from all different corners of music. She shows off her Missouri roots with a more twangy sound in the song “Picture You,” and listeners can also hear 80’s synth in many of her pieces including “HOT TO GO!” The latter was one of my personal highlights of the night as Roan led the crowd in a dance, many of which were already very familiar with, that included moving our arms in the shape of each letter, spelling out the chorus. It was such a fun moment and was simple enough for everyone to learn quickly. 

The singer also blessed us with a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” complete with choreography by the queen of monsters herself. Roan kept up her physical and vocal stamina throughout the whole show, beautifully displayed her talent as a performer, and engaged the crowd during every song. 

Roan ended the show with my personal favorite song, “My Kink is Karma” before running off the stage. Of course her fans knew that she was far from finished as she returned shortly thereafter to perform fan favorites “California” and “Pink Pony Club.”

My little queer heart was filled by the end of Chappell Roan’s set. The performer announced that $1 per ticket would go to the organization, For the Gworls, which helps Black transgender folks pay for rent, gender-affirming surgeries, medicine/doctor’s visits, and travel assistance. Roan encouraged supporting local queer communities while also practicing what she preaches. She stated that if we got anything from the show on Sunday night, she hoped that we got a moment of solace and shelter from a world that can be very hateful. Roan stated that it was important to her to create a safe space at her shows because she didn’t have that growing up and therefore wanted to make sure that everyone in attendance did. I had such a positive experience at Chappell Roan’s show that I am still thinking about it days later. I am hopeful for the opportunity to see her perform again when she returns to Minneapolis to open for Olivia Rodrigo this spring.