King Princess was in Chicago on Wednesday night for her Cheap Queen Tour, in support of her debut album. That album was quite the breakthrough for the up and coming artist, giving music fans something worthy of their “best of 2019” lists and shining a light on a new direction Pop can take in its never-ending evolution.
With an excellent album out and appearances on SNL and The Late Show with Stephen on her résumé, the North American leg of King Princess’ headline tour was bound to be something special, and I’m glad to report that it was. Perhaps the most thrilling thing about that night was a feeling that filled the room from everybody knowing that this artist is on the brink of exploding, but for the time being, they can rejoice about being in a venue filled with day-ones.
The guitar work was impressive all night from KP herself as well as her lead guitarist, the latter dropping some fine power ballad-worthy solos. At one point during the third track they interpolated The Beatles’ “She’s So Heavy” and I couldn’t do anything but drop my camera and stare. The artist also known as Mikala Straus also kept energies high by saying things like “I know we’re gonna have a lot of fun. You look like a bunch of nasty bitches” and “there’s a pussy shortage in Chicago” while speaking to the crowd in between songs.
Some of my favorite performances included live renditions of “Cheap Queen,” “Talia,” “Trust Nobody,” “1950,” and “Ain’t Together,” taking fans on a journey that got them bouncing, shrieking, singing-along passionately, and even a bit of slow dancing at different points of the show. That’s what stars are made of.
Photo Credit: Oscar Oliva Jr / Pursuit Of Dopeness
