PHOTOS/REVIEW: Chappell Roan @ the Fillmore

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WRITTEN BY: Jake Leonard

PHOTOS BY: Jake Leonard

“There’s a special place where boys and girls can all be queens every single day,” sings Chappell Roan on “Pink Pony Club,” a song about finding a place filled with love and acceptance.

This scene was brought to life when the pop singer brought her “Midwest Princess Tour” to Philadelphia’s Fillmore. Approaching the venue, one would be met with a sea of pink and feathers. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits as they braved the rain and waited in line to be let in. 

A Chappell Roan show is not the typical pop show. Through her Instagram, she assigned a theme to each night of the tour. The theme of the night was, in fact, Pink Pony Club, and it seemed as if the majority of attendees got the memo.  

Instead of a traditional opening act, drag queens open for Chappell throughout the tour. All of the queens are selected by Chappell through Instagram. Philly’s queens were Majestee, Astala Vista, and PIIII.

At one point during their set, the queens chose one fan to bring on stage and gush over. 

The crowd cheered and danced with them as they set the stage for the rest of the night. 

When Chappell hit the stage and started “Femininomenon,” the crowd went wild. It seemed as if every single person in the venue knew every single lyric. Some even got emotional, overjoyed to finally be seeing someone who they admired so much.

Throughout the set, fans danced, laughed, and sang their hearts out. Energy radiated off of Chappell as she navigated between upbeat, lighter songs, and slower, more serious songs. As she sang, it seemed like Chappell had placed a spell on the audience; all eyes were glued on her and the audience eagerly anticipated each note.

Between songs, the rising pop star would speak directly to the audience. She shared stories from past shows, commented on outfits, and talked about the inspiration behind some of the songs. Even though she was talking to a sea of people, her words felt personal and meaningful, almost like she was having a conversation with her best friend. 

At one point, before the song “Kaleidoscope,” she gave an uplifting speech about the queer community. As she spoke about love and acceptance, it was evident that she was speaking directly from the heart. She expressed that she wanted the show to be a safe space for the community, and the crowd erupted into applause – indicating that not only did they feel safe, but they felt loved. As she spoke, many audience members embraced the people who they had come to the show with. It was a moving moment for all.

Chappell before “After Midnight”

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, Chappell is unapologetically herself and shows this throughout her record. Queerness is one of the central themes of her music with songs like, “Naked in Manhattan,” describing her self-discovery journey. 

In our interview, when asked what she would tell queer kids who were struggling to feel accepted and comfortable in their own skin, Chappell mentioned an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race that she had just watched and quoted Season 8’s Kim Chi: “You will be celebrated one day for all the things that you feel ashamed about as a queer kid.” The statement clearly had resonated with her, and it has stuck with me since we spoke.

Over the course of the show, Chappell played the entirety of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Released in August, the record has received much critical acclaim with many penning Chappell as someone to lookout for.      

The tour represents everything that Chappell is: fun, clever, and a little campy. I am looking forward to seeing where she goes on to do in the future and can’t wait to see her perform again. For those who have just discovered Chappell and her music, she has a message for you: “Welcome to the party. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Setlist:

Femininomenon

Red Wine Supernova

After Midnight

Picture You

Casual

Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl

HOT TO GO!

Guilty Pleasure

Coffee

Kaleidoscope

School Nights

Bad Romance (Lady Gaga cover)

Naked in Manhattan

My Kink Is Karma

Encore:

California

Pink Pony Club