British pop-rock artist Dylan took The Sinclair by storm on Tuesday, April 16. After touring the world for the past three months, Dylan excitedly shared that Boston might be her “loudest crowd yet.”
On the American leg of Dylan’s “Rebel Child” Tour, New York-based musician Mercer Henderson opened. Captivating the audience with heartfelt breakup songs and dance-pop anthems, Henderson’s performance —— which included her and her bassist —— amped the crowd for Dylan.
Dylan has coined herself as a “rock star in a pop star’s body.” Dressed in all black with a stunning red guitar, her stage presence is absolutely incredible. Dylan captured the audience with her confidence and infectious energy when she took the stage. She opened the show with her song “Rebel Child,” the tour’s namesake, and continued to play hit after hit.
She seemed genuinely appreciative of the fans, taking time to interact with the audience between songs and thanking them for gifts, like sunglasses, personalized cards, and handmade signs. In addition to covering Taylor Swift’s “Out of the Woods” and Kim Petras and Sam Smith’s “Unholy,” Dylan also covered Harry Styles’ “Kiwi” in honor of a fan’s birthday. Fans of all ages gathered at the edge of the stage chanting the words to all her songs; it’s exciting and thrilling to see such a talented performer at such an intimate venue.
Dylan also played an unreleased song titled “Perfect Revenge,” which she cheekily told the audience was from her “new album” but couldn’t say “when it’s being released.” She also played her recently-released “The Alibi,” telling a story about how the song came to be through a night involving a bottle of wine, her journal, and her phone. Dylan jokingly warned younger fans in the audience that she wasn’t offering advice for dealing with a breakup, but instead a warning.
She closed her show with fan-favorites “No Romeo” and “Nothing Lasts Forever.” Dylan’s heartbreak rock ballads kept the crowd engaged throughout the entire show. She danced with the audience when she wasn’t rocking out on her electric guitars —— one with flames and another with red glitter.
Dylan truly proved herself to be a “rock star in a pop star’s body.” In a few years, there’s no doubt she’ll be playing sold-out arena shows.