Pop superstar, Chappell Roan, brought her Midwest Princess tour to Detroit, Michigan’s St Andrew’s Hall on October 10, 2023, for a sold out performance. Originally from Missouri, Roan is no stranger to the stigma, stereotypes, and discrimination that come with being open and queer in a divided United States. Now showing her true colors, and painting St. Andrew’s Hall in rainbow hues, a Chappell Roan concert is the most inviting and inclusive place any queer individual could be.

The theme of the night was rainbow, an homage to her track, “Kaleidoscope”. Relating back to Roan’s desire to express her queerness in a small town and to the experiences of other queer individuals who have been unable to dress in their true colors, she gave everyone a reason to do so that night.

Roan played the entirety of her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess LP, her debut album that was released last month, plus an older single titled “Bitter” and a life-changing cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. Different from other concerts, every single member in the audience was happy to be in attendance of this Midwest princess and was ready to dance and sing along to every single word. From the front row, to the balcony, to the farther part of the crowd, people were entranced by Roan’s sensational vocals and intoxicating stage presence.

She began the show with the first track of her debut LP, “Femininomenon”, the features a call and response igniting the crowd into screams of femme power and control. “HOT TO GO!” had every person in the room spelling out the song’s title and bouncing along with Roan’s hard hitting high notes and catchy lyrics. She ended the night with “Pink Pony Club”, the song that arguably launched her career from TikTok to marquees and provided the perfect ending to a spirited night. As Chappell left the stage, her energy remained amongst the audience and into the parking lot as everyone filtered out.

The discography of Chappell Roan began in 2017 but skyrocketed with the release of “Pink Pony Club” in 2022. Since then, she has held many headlining shows and tours, opened for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Fletcher, and continues to share her music across the world. Her DIY and independent approach to marketing her music in the earlier moments of her career are what we believed helped her become the popstar she is today. People love to be able to relate to the artist they are singing with, no matter how glittery the costumes or big the stage. As far as we can tell, Chappell Roan is doing everything exactly right.

This is Chappell’s world and we’re just living in it.

Photo Gallery by Isabel Dowell