The TikTok algorithm has a funny way of bringing us the people, the words, and the music that we need most. Over 19 million followers have found solace in the emotional and vulnerable lyrics of Nessa Barrett. On March 6, a couple thousand of those fans gathered at Boston’s Roadrunner to celebrate her Young Forever Tour.
“Nessa! Nessa!,” the crowd chanted to a pitch black stage. Audio of a radio scanning through stations echoed through the rafters teasing the music that was yet to come.
Suddenly, a blinding white light interrupted the radio and illuminated the stage revealing Nessa as she glided through silk curtains and up to the microphone.
In stark contrast to the ethereal lighting, Nessa began the night with “madhouse.” Followed by “talk to myself” and “decay.”
“I’m so tired of California, so I came to Boston,” she told the crowd before singing her similarly titled single. Other songs on her surprisingly short setlist included “god’s favorite” and “deathmatch.”
Enlisting the help of “her producer, therapist, and best friend,” Evan Blair, Nessa also gave fans a sneak peak at her upcoming single “American Jesus.”
Nessa made the show as much about her fans as it was about her encouraging them to acknowledge their journey and their strength. “I want you all to feel loved, accepted. This is a safe place so it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be human because that’s what life’s all about … I’m so fucking proud that despite everything that you’ve gone through you’re still here standing in front of me.” She continued, “I just want you to take this moment and use it to recognize your strength. I feel like we forget that a lot.”
Nessa didn’t just show that in her words, but in the way that she interacted with fans as well. For much of her set she was either standing or sitting at the edge of the stage, getting as close to her fans as possible and getting them to sing along.
“Lovely” she told the crowd who sang every lyric as she smiled and soaked it all in.
Nessa utilized the safe space for an emotional performance of “die first,” a song written for her late best friend Cooper Noriega. In the recorded prelude, she shares, “I just never thought there would be a moment where I wouldn’t have him… When he left, I died too. Love you, Coop.”
Nessa closed out the night with a “Bang! Bang!” as she disappeared into a shower of pink and white confetti after giving us a night that we all needed.
Grab tickets here.
