After stopping in Las Vegas for a set at the music festival, Life is Beautiful, Amy Shark officially kicked off her Love Monster North American Tour in celebration of her highly praised debut album. The first night of the tour began in the pacific northwest, at Portland OR’s Wonder Ballroom. With no barricade separating the audience from Amy, this intimate setting complimented her music and tone, and enhanced the experience for her devoted fans.
Amy Shark had been making music and performing in her Australian hometown for years, and in 2016 became an overnight sensation with the release of her single “Adore.” The song demanded the attention from the music scene. From it’s release came awards, attention from critics, publicists, labels, and fans. Award winning producer and musician Jack Antonoff credits hearing “Adore” as one of the reasons for his desire to work with Amy. Her quick rise and success gifted her with the ability to work with prominent members of the industry, and landed her a feature from her one of her Blink-182 idols. Blink-182’s bassist/vocalist, Mark Hoppus, appears on the track “Psycho” off of Love Monster.
Despite her quick success Amy Shark remains humbled, and blown away by the support. Throughout the set she drew attention to the size of the crowd and venue, expressing her gratitude and love for her audience. Once she finally stepped onto the stage, she owned it. Her entire audience was transfixed by her, singing back every word while recording Amy’s every move. Her energy and passion leaves the entire room in awe. Tracks like “The Idiot” and “Mess Her Up” show off the vocal range Amy Shark is capable of. Though mishaps occurred during her performance of “All Loved Up,” her comfort with her audience and ability to laugh things off. Her vulnerability and transparency as an artist goes beyond the lyrics written, and resonates with her listeners. She is adored by her fans, and anyone not convinced by her studio work will be blown away by her live performance.
The set was just over an hour, and consisted of 15 tracks. As promoted, the setlist leaned heavily on newer tracks off her debut album Love Monster. Amy also added in songs form her EP Night Thinker for the older fans, including “Blood Brothers,” “Weekends,” and “Drive You Mad.” A cover of Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” was also mixed into the performance. The night closed with her two biggest songs, including as she refers to it “the song that started this all, and the reason I’m on this stage: Adore.” The night ended on her latest hit, “I Said Hi.”
For more info on Amy Shark, including tour dates, visit her website.
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