Fletcher with Verité
Hammerstein Ballroom
New York, NY
October 30, 2022
Words and Photos by Addy Walter
As part of her Girl Of My Dreams tour, queer icon Fletcher, sold out a two night stretch at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City over Halloween weekend – dubbed Fletcherween. Fans dressed in costumes aligning with the “Sweet Dream” and “Beautiful Nightmare” themes, poured into the venue in anticipation of the upcoming performances.
Vérité kicked off the night with a small but mighty seven song set. The dim purple and pink lighting reflected off her bright white dress and devil horn headband, with her guitarist and drummer wearing big black angel wings, creating a tranquil yet slightly ominous feel to the stage. Vérité’s soothing, powerful voice amplified throughout the crowd and had everyone captivated from the very start. Her set list featured songs like “he’s not you,” “think of me” and “by now,” and finished off strong with one of her latest singles, “are we done yet?”
As Vérité left the stage, you could feel the anticipation rise for Fletcher’s appearance. Before she even got on the stage there were chants from the crowd screaming her name. One thing you should know about her fan base is that they are highly devoted to her – I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t part of that crowd! Fletcher has a way of interacting with her fans and knowing exactly what they want – she has us all wrapped around her finger. For instance, on her second night on stage, she dressed as Cruella de Vil and jokingly told the crowd “I need you to bark for me NYC” and they sure did! Sounds of “ruff ruff ruff” immediately filled the venue, no questions asked.
The stage featured a makeshift storefront in the middle, holding an arrangement of neon signs. On night one, her band was dressed as different characters from Shrek, and Fletcher was dressed as Cupid with giant white wings and an arrow that she held for the first few songs.
Fletcher strutted on stage to start with an older song of hers that she recently remixed on her new album, “I Guess We Lied…” Her set list featured several older songs, like “Shh… Don’t Say It,” “Cherry,” and “girls girls girls” alongside a majority of songs from her latest album, like “Sting,” “Serial Heartbreaker,” and “Her Body is Bible.” She even sang a cover of “If U Seek Amy” by Britney Spears and dove straight into a alternative version of her song “Undrunk” that gave a pop-punk, high-energy feel to it. Needless to say, Fletcher puts on a show that gets her fans on their feet, singing and dancing along with her.
As expected, Fletcher’s 17 song set list was not quite enough for her fans – they chanted for an encore the moment she left the stage. But also as expected, she never disappoints. Fletcher came back on and ended the night with two of her most popular songs, “Becky’s So Hot” and “Bitter.” An incredible finish to an already amazing show.
I’ve been following Fletcher for a long time and have watched her grow immensely within the last few years – this latest album has skyrocketed her into the mainstream and its been surreal to see. As I’m sure this rings true with many queer people, I really looked up to her in the years I started to come out to friends and family in my own life – she was one of my first introductions into music written by, for, and about lesbians. It’s heart warming knowing that more people are being exposed to her music and likeness, as I know how much it has done for me personally. All in all, if there’s one thing you take from this review… its to go buy a ticket to this tour near you ASAP! Fletcher and Vérité did not disappoint.
Verité
Fletcher
