This summer, Reneé Rapp got under Bostonian’s skin with her controversial “I HATE BOSTON” billboard. However, the genius marketing ploy got people to talk (too much).
On October 28, Reneé arrived in the East Coast city to smooth things over for her Snow Hard Feelings Tour.
“Contrary to popular belief, I do love Boston,” Reneé Rapp told the Roadrunner crowd after brilliant sets from special guests Towa Bird and Alexander 23.
Critically acclaimed producer and musician Towa Bird had the crowd mesmerized by her singular guitar style. Her performances of songs like the wildly ecstatic “Drain Me!” had the crowd ready to come back like a Boomerang for her upcoming debut album.
Chicago-bred artist Alexander 23 arrived on stage next rocking his “I HATE LOVE BOSTON” tee and a cherry red electric guitar. He first burst onto the scene with his debut “Dirty AF1s” in 2019, followed by his viral single “IDK You Yet.” However, the project that took him from a bedroom-pop artist to a GRAMMY®-nominated hitmaker was his co-production of Olivia Rodrigo’s triple-platinum “good 4 u.”
Now an increasingly in-demand collaborator, Alexander recently lent his songwriting and production talents to Reneé’s debut album, Snow Angel, and the namesake of the tour.
While working with other artists, the multi-hyphenate still managed to release his debut album, Aftershock, this July. Along with other popular singles and a cover of One Direction’s “Steal My Girl,” the project was a feature of his Boston set.
The wildly cathartic half-hour was not only a showcase of his songwriting and musicianship but a confirmation of his spot in the alt-rock genre.
From the moment Reneé stepped into the spotlight that night, it was clear that she was born to be a performer. Atop a theatrical wildflower-dotted, cliff-side set, Reneé sang through all four seasons of love (and heartbreak). “Talk Too Much” and “Poison Poison,” singles from her debut album, gave life to Spring, while “Colorado” and “Pretty Girls” had the effervescent energy of summer. The joy was only heightened by the bicon twirling through “Pretty Girls” with a fan-gifted bisexual flag.
Before the setlist could turn to fall along with the leaves just outside the New England venue, Reneé brought Towa back out for a guitar-laced performance of “Tummy Hurts.”
Fall blew in with the most anticipated song of the night, “I Hate Boston.” Proving there were s(no)w hard feelings, the audience held up signs that said “Boston Loves you.”
As a multi-talented performer, Reneé didn’t just entertain with her unmatched vocals, but also with her sarcastic humor and blush-inducing rizz.
At Reneé’s shows, the motto for sign-making seems to be the more unhinged, the better. Reneé engaged with signs that ranged from “Mommy?” to match-making requests. In Fiddler on the Roof fashion, the former Broadway actress played matchmaker and connected two fans in the crowd.
The final season, winter, was a continued display of Reneé’s ability to take niche, heavy emotions like those in “In The Kitchen” and handle them with gentle understanding. Alexander 23 assisted with a stripped back performance of “I Wish.”
She closed winter and the show with an encore of “Snow Angel.” After a short pause, Reneé emerged in all white. Angel wings appeared on the screen behind as if an extension of her. The raw emotional lyrics of the song combined with the visuals were enough to give the audience chills.
As the show came to an end, Reneé couldn’t help but smile at the 3,500 people who came to sing along. “I definitely don’t hate Boston anymore,” she confessed while holding a fan-gifted bouquet and Karen Carpenter shirt.
Reneé, Boston loves YOU!
