"You guys are my favorite crowd ever," Clairo said in the middle of her Mesa show that began with an on-stage backflip from an audience member, and ended with her and her bandmates waving cheerful goodbyes to dancing fans.
Clairo is an indie-music artist who gained internet popularity in 2018 after the release of her song "Pretty Girl." Six years and three albums later, she is on tour promoting her latest album "Charm" to fans across the world.
Concert-goers eagerly waited in the shade outside of the Mesa Amphitheatre on Oct. 3. The line stretched for several blocks with fans decked out with Adidas Sambas, septum piercings and baggy jeans, in true Generation Z fashion.
The easy-going attitudes fans brought to the venue translated to the intimate performances throughout the night.
"It's sort of just like you're hanging out with the band," said Madison Knutson, a junior studying journalism and mass communication. "Which you can see in the first part of the concert — they sit down for a bit, they talk before starting the show."
The show began with some songs by the opener, Alice Phoebe Lou, who many fans were already familiar with and excited to see live.
"I actually love her music," said Lauren Shipley, a sophomore studying data science. "I was so excited that she was joining this tour with Clairo because I kind of discovered her before the summer and was hoping to see her on tour eventually."
Clairo's band walked onto stage 30 minutes after the opening set ended in a single-file line to the song "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" by Wendy Rene, and sat in the corner chatting and pouring drinks for the remainder of the tune.
Clairo appeared minutes later and opened with her song "Nomad." The song also serves as the opener to the album "Charm" itself, which fans said reflects the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
"I feel that the way (Clairo's) music has transitioned into a more mellow sound pretty directly relates to how my life has changed in the last five years," said Kendal Davit, a junior studying graphic design. "Her sound and lyrics during 'Immunity' were very relatable for me as a 16-year-old, and now that I'm 21, I relate to her sound and lyrics now with 'Charm.'"
This connection that many fans have with Clairo's music led to multiple emotional ballads where audience members swayed their phone flashlights back and forth and sang along to the lyrics.
"That added a lot to the show," Knutson said. "I think it was just the way Clairo showed her personality. Because there's some artists who will just play their songs, and they'll do that, and they won't add a lot of personalization to their show or talk to the audience a lot."
Clairo was attentive to the audience in multiple ways, not just when it came to cheering on backflips. During the show, it was over 100 degrees and fans were packed close to each other. Fans saw at least four different people faint.
Clairo stopped her performance not only make sure those who fainted were OK, but to also ensure water was given to both them and the rest of the audience.
The venue took several measures to keep guests comfortable in the heat, including providing free water and tents for shade, and permitting guests to bring in sealed water bottles, according to an email from a Mesa Amphitheatre spokesperson.
"Additionally, we had EMTs on-site and security personnel present throughout the day to respond to any needs," the spokesperson said.
Fans also looked out for each other in the sweltering Arizona heat.
"The crowd did a good job supporting everyone that was passing out," Shipley said. "They were shining flashlights on people who were having a hard time."
It was the energetic bond between Clairo and the crowd that made for a charming night of singing and dancing under the stars to her jazzy, delicate sound. Many long-time fans felt a special connection to the artist, who they have been listening to her since she was uploading music from her bedroom and singing about "Flaming Hot Cheetos."
Now she's performing for thousands of people across the world. For fans, it feels almost cyclical and leaves many feeling hopeful for what the future holds.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Braccio and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at njarret1@asu.edu and @nataliajarrett on X.
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Natalia is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked as a politics reporter.
