It’s a humid summer night in New York and the entirety of Bowery Ballroom — all 500 or so attendees — are harmonizing with Gracie Abrams. “I really want you guys to be on the song,” the singer-songwriter says, just before she records the crowd’s sustained
hum with a multi-track loop machine. Abrams pairs the sound with her own pitch-perfect voice to create an impromptu backing track for the live debut of her new song “Humming.” The effect makes her eyes light up. “That’s special,” she says, “Our first duet together.”
The moment isn’t the only special thing about the night. In a lot of ways, Abrams’ underplay show at the storied club, billed as a free evening with the star, was more than just a celebration of her new album Daughter From Hell or practice for her upcoming tour. It was a hard-earned homecoming that shows just how far she’s come in a few short years.
Back in 2022, when she had only released a couple of EPs, the singer-songwriter played the Bowery Ballroom, marking a bucket-list moment and one of her biggest shows of her burgeoning career. It was Valentine’s Day, and videos from the performance show the then-22 year-old rocking a headband with heart decals to match fans in the front-row; Abrams even took their cell phones and recorded front-facing videos of herself singing onstage.
To be clear, Abrams is an Angelino through and through. She was born and raised in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood to parents who made names for themselves in Hollywood. But on Tuesday night, as she returned to the tight knit New York venue, Abrams connected with her audience in a truly unique way. “This is the dream for me, being with all of you guys in this city in particular,” she told the audience. It felt like no time had passed since those early career shows.
Of course, four jam-packed years have transformed Abrams from a breathy bedroom pop artist into a songwriting superstar and sharp performer in her own right. She’s opened for both Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, and released two full-length albums with her third LP Daughter From Hell out this Friday. Last year, following the massive success of 2024’s The Secret of Us and its even bigger deluxe, Abrams took her ever-personal pop songs to arenas across the country, proving her power with each show.
That power was loud and clear from the jump on Tuesday. At first, it seemed like Abrams was going to just hit the ground (not the wall) running and showcase the new LP with little fanfare or chatter in between. She opened the Bowery show with a string of bangers like “Death Wish,” “Broke My Heart” and lead single “Hit the Wall.” But this is Gracie Abrams we’re talking about. Sure, she had traded in her silly, heart headband from her last Bowery show for a sleek black one to match her black and red track pants and cream camisole, but she will never miss an opportunity to make her fans feel seen.
“I just want to start by saying that I feel each and every one of you so clearly here tonight,” Abrams said, addressing the crowd for the first time that night. She waved to various fans, calling out familiar faces, some of whom were likely at the 2022 show. “I desperately miss playing in rooms this size and I love being able to see every single one of your faces,” the singer-songwriter added before leading a cathartic sing-along of “I Told You Things.”
We know she can make even the biggest arenas feel personal and intimate, but it’s clear that Abrams really shines in the tiniest of rooms, making real-time connections with her fans. At one point, she asked how the audience was holding up, a useful question after emotionally excavating the audience with her new music. Some fans took the opportunity to remind the singer of yet another synchronicity for the show: Tuesday’s date marked the three-year anniversary of her debut EP Minor. “You guys have carried me on your back for six years,” Abrams responded, her playful tone making it feel like she was talking to a close friend. “It feels correct that we’re all together today,” she added.
As much as Abrams adores her fans, they love her right back (perhaps even more ferociously). Their devotion runs so deep that throngs of fans lined up before Bowery Ballroom opened its doors, hoping to get a great spot even if it meant sitting outside and sweating during an East Coast heat wave. And that was just (some) of the people who actually secured tickets. After being randomly selected through an online registration and raffle, only a select few of the luckiest of fans were granted entry to the event. That didn’t stop more than two dozen people from showing up outside the venue, walking the length of the long line and asking for any spare tickets that could possibly be available, as they all held up makeshift signs like “$50 for your ticket” and “PLEASE let me be your plus one.”
The fans lucky enough to get inside belted every word of setlist staples “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and “That’s So True.” The most hardcore fans knew every word to the previously performed songs “Death Wish” and “Minibar,” which Abrams debuted with co-writer Audrey Hobert while on tour last summer. As soon as the buzzing synths of “Look at My Life” began playing, the whole room erupted, making the latest single a fan-favorite already.
It’s clear Abrams and her fans are more than ready to make anthems out of all the “good ol’ fashioned break-up songs” the singer-songwriter is set to perform on her upcoming Look at My Life tour. In the spring, she’ll return to New York for four sold-out nights at Barclays Center. With the knowledge that she’ll be back soon, the musician skipped the encore, somehow ignoring compelling chants of “Gracie! Gracie! Gracie” as the Bowery Ballroom lights came on. Instead, Abrams closed out the show with DFH’s title track, a.k.a the album’s most devastating song. “Thank you so much, I love you so much. I can’t wait for you to have this album,” she told the audience before going in for the kill. Bathed in red light, Abrams delivered crunchy riffs on a black and red Strat, the stark reverb filling the room as she sang, “I hope that I make you proud.”
Setlist
“Death Wish”
“Broke My Heart”
“Hit the Wall”
“I Told You Things”
“Imaginary Friend”
“Minibar”
“Good Reason”
“The Knife”
“Humming”
“I Love You, I’m Sorry”
“That’s So True”
“Look at My Life”
“Daughter From Hell”
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