Sir Chloe Kicks Off North America Headliner Tour at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom has always been a notorious venue, hosting artists as their careers rise and serving as a nostalgic return years later (looking at you, Arcade Fire). And with Sir Chloe’s performance on May 6th, it was evident that their artistry and stage presence will lead them to a long career.
They’ve taken off in the past two years with a viral TikTok audio—“Michelle” is still stuck in my head—and an opener slot for Portugal. The Man and alt-J’s tour. After a brief medical hiatus, they’re back with a headliner tour in anticipation of their sophomore album and kicked off the month-long tour in New York City.
Opening the night at the Bowery was Computerwife, a newly minted solo artist who’s Soundcloud is a gold mine for experimental indie. Shuffling between mic, Macbook, and guitar, it was admittedly clear that the artist was nervous. And while her stage presence requires some work, the audience gravitated toward her unique music, which is full of the bold experimentation that comes with the pubescent-like phase of being a new artist.
After Computerwife, Sir Chloe’s band members took stage with a suspenseful instrumental leadup before Dana joined the stage with her unique vocals. The band didn’t hold their most popular hits close to the chest, opening with TikTok-famous titles ‘Michelle’ and ‘July’, followed by music from their upcoming sophomore album, including ‘Mercy’ and ‘Company’.
The band’s debut EP is fit for Spotify’s “sad girl starter pack” playlist, but Sir Chloe’s performance of it was far from solemn. Their stage presence brought a rockstar like energy, with guitar solos and bridges worthy of a headbang. They also have a distinct ability to seamlessly transition between songs, each shining in its own right but still flawlessly telling a story with its companion tracks.
While Dana was guitairless due to a wrist injury, her vocal talent far made up for it. This was unsurprising for a band formed for a senior thesis, but each vocal run and belt was met by cheers.
After playing their greatest hits, and Dana’s brief stint with a crowd member’s pink cowboy hat and pride flag, Sir Chloe closed out the show with an instrumental bang. And as the eclectic audience of Tumblr-core twenty-somethings, Y2K teens, and IPA millennials dispersed from the Bowery, it was clear that Sir Chloe has a promising future beyond TikTok audio notoriety–and I’m excited to be along for the ride.
Meet the Photographer
Sarah is an entertainment marketer by day and live music photographer by night in New York City. With over seven years of experience, she has photographed a variety of alternative and pop artists, from The Airborne Toxic Event to DNCE. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys walks at Riverside Park with her pup, stand up comedy, and finding the best penne vodka in the city.