Clairo's Growth on the 'Sling' Tour

Clairo performing at the Greek Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez and edited by Paige Strickland

SOLD OUT LA SHOW FEATURED GRAMMY NOMINEE ARLO PARKS

In 2020 right before the pandemic shut the world down and simultaneously set it ablaze, the last shows I was lucky to attend were Tame Impala with opener Clairo. For the pair of concerts, I acted as press for the the first and came as a fan the second. It was my biggest show to date, getting a photo pass to cover one of my favorite bands at the historic Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California. Since then, more than 20 press spots later, I believe the one shot of Clairo is one of my strongest photos. There was an enduring intensity in Claire’s eyes, shimmering in the spotlight while she sat and strummed her acoustic guitar. To be covering her two years later at a her own headline show with another album under her belt, that previous intensity was felt yet again.

As always, the parking at the Greek is hectic, but once inside, I was hoping to grab one of 350 “Clairo Live At the Greek” varsity shirts from the merch tent. Sadly, both lines leading to the tables were about 100 people in length and growing, and I didn’t want to miss Arlo Parks’ opening set, so I perished the thought.

Arlo Parks performing at the Greek Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez and edited by Paige Strickland

The photographers were escorted to the photo pit as we watched the crew set up amps for Arlo’s set. She will always have a special place in my heart because her team trusted me to make limited edition figures for her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams. Everyone was super nice and helpful so to see her win the Mercury Prize as well as get nominated for Grammys was awesome. I also got to cover her show at the Moroccan Lounge in October of last year. I’m glad that majority of the audience were in their seats for the opening because Arlo Parks absolutely crushed it. Sunflowers scattered around the stage as she strutted with mic in hand, rocking neon red hair. She performed Sunbeams cuts “Portra 400” and “Eugene” and even played latest single “Softly.” Arlo’s voice is of that rare quality that demands attention but also makes the venue feel quite small and intimate, whether you’re in the pit or up in the nosebleeds. I’m a sucker for intro jams, so to have the band play their hearts out to get the crowd going perform Arlo even came on stage was a nice touch. Very classy. Many Clairo fans are Arlo Parks fans I’m sure due to the tour, and it was proven in sight with the audience helping her sing through the chorus of “Caroline.” It was once again great to catch her performance at a great venue, because now she’s off to open for Florence and the Machine as well, rightfully so. Check out her set list here!

Arlo Parks performing at the Greek Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez

During the intermission, I thought the merch line would have died down a bit, but sadly once more, it was still going strong. I killed some time walking around the venue, seeing fans receiving post-its in the shape of pink hearts for which they were told to put over their phone flashlights during Clairo’s performance of “Blouse.” Now back in the photo pit, fans holding the railing were hoping to hand Claire items during the first track, some of which were camping at the venue since 12:30PM and staying an additional few hours outside trying to meet her. The dedication of her fan base is similar to that of a pop star, but what I admire about Claire is she went in a different direction with Sling. It’s not a traditional pop ballad record, and features more slow-burn tracks with depth. Needless to say, I was anticipating their live versions.

Clairo performing at the Greek Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez and edited by Paige Strickland

The lights came down a few minutes before her set time, and her band walked in an orderly fashion to the stage with Clairo following behind. Everyone was dressed in a blazer or suit of sorts, with Claire wearing her own merch tee (yes the one I wanted) under her coat. She took a seat at her piano and got into “Bambi” with the audience screaming their heads off. From that moment on, it was certain that Clairo is trying to pave a different path than the one that was started by songs like “Flamin Hot Cheetos” and “4EVER.”

She often switched from seat to standing at her mic, trading electric and acoustic guitars for songs like “Wade” and “North.” The choice to tease the guitar chord for “Bags” before performing it was exciting as hell, with fans already knowing what’s to come and quickly pulling their phones out to capture the moment. She would show love to both sides of the stage, coming out near the photo pit to strum for a few seconds. A quite special song in the set came in the shape of “Blouse,” first single off Sling that marked a transition in sound and divided some fans. Arlo Parks was invited on stage as she has been during the tour to harmonize alongside Clairo with just them and the horn section. The venue stood in unison, using those post-it hearts to light up the night sky while projections of the singers were shown on opposite ends of the stage in black and white. It was a tender moment that would get any listener choked up.

Clairo performing at the Greek Theatre, LA by Jacob Alvarez and edited by Paige Strickland

The band powered through “Little Changes” and “Partridge” with Claire even performing a new song by the name of “Nomad.” Groovier tune “Amoeba” came towards the end of the show with fan favorite “Pretty Girl” getting played to much of the crowd’s liking. She is miles away from that era though, mostly showing appreciation to the fans who discovered her through the song and have stood behind her ever since. Clairo closed the show with radio hit “Sofia” off Immunity with the crowd dancing and singing along as soon as the opening riff was heard. While in the photo pit, I overheard some fans discussing how they were excited to hear songs from Immunity with only enjoying a few from Sling, but this seems like a step Lorde took with Melodrama after her hit Pure Heroine.” Once the show came to a close, I headed back towards the exit, but stopped to look at the merch that was now semi-accessible. The shirt was sold out, but almost everything looked amazingly designed, so I purchased a white tee with this jazzy-diner painting look. After witnessing the show, it’s clear that Clairo plans on growing at her own pace, choosing the music she wants to make to represent herself as opposed to what might be “in demand” by pop stars, let alone female pop stars. Years from now, I’ll look back at my shirt along with my experience at the show with much appreciation and gratitude, the way fans will look at Sling. Check out her set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!