By Allegra Papera
Staff Writer
Grimes lives up to “Art Angels” hype at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, passionately showcasing her danceability of her synth-pop music along with her quirky personality.
Grimes turned her sold-out concert into an intimate evening with her brilliant performance including a setlist curated solely for the entertainment of her fans, and blatant appreciation for their support. Two newcomers, Tei Shi and Christine & the Queens, also featured as impressive opening acts.
Claire Boucher has been producing and recording her own experimental pop music under the name Grimes since 2009 during her time attending McGill University in Montreal. Since the release of her critically acclaimed fourth studio album, “Art Angels”, the Canadian music producer has been on a world tour accompanied by indie pop musician, Tei Shi. On Thursday April 21, the two stopped at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall for her concert, titled “March of the Pugs”, featuring Christine & the Queens.
The concert’s highlight was undoubtedly Grimes’ setlist, consisting of fan favorites not only from “Art Angels”, but from her 2012 album, “Visions”. Rather than curating a setlist only to promote her new album, Grimes included her early hits such as “Oblivion”, bringing the crowd together for the upbeat yet personal track inspired by her own experiences. Grimes’ final song of the evening, “Kill V. Maim”, from her most recent album, turned the audience into a dancing, screaming frenzy.
Boucher’s strong and personal stage presence throughout the evening contributed to the show’s intimacy. Between songs, she would speak to the audience, expressing her gratitude for their dancing and singing participation. Flustered by her own excitement at each conversational point, Boucher’s personality shone through, connecting her to the audience and making the evening a more personal experience.
Grimes’ “March of the Pugs” also featured two thoroughly entertaining opening acts, Tei Shi and Christine & The Queens. Brooklyn based indie pop musician, Tei Shi, started the show off strong with a set including slow songs with captivating beats and vocals, a perfect soundtrack for the settling in of arriving audience members. Next up, French act Christine & the Queens entertained attendees with impressively recognizable covers of songs such as Kanye West’s “Heartless” sung alongside synchronized dance moves that added a humorous aspect to the performance.
Despite a fantastic performance, Grimes’ set finished off after a short hour, leaving the crowd wishing for more as the show also closed without genuine encore. Grimes claimed she would be too nervous to re-enter the stage for an encore, so she decided her last song would serve as one.
Despite Grimes’ brief set, her show overall was thoroughly entertaining and personal, both exciting fans and attendees while still making them comfortable in the uniquely intimate concert environment.
Grimes will continue her tour across the United States until late June to begin the European portion. She will return to Los Angeles for a performance at FYF Festival this August.
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