Beabadoobee at Aragon Ballroom

By: Olivia McMath

Photo Credit: @nancydhuynh

After the release of Beabadoobee’s third album, This is How Tomorrow Moves I knew this was a tour I had to see. Clearly, I was not the only one. Around three hours before doors opened, the line stretched from the box office to the auto shop down the street and around the corner. This is a stark difference from when I saw her perform back in 2021 at the Majestic Theater in Detroit. I was able to take the barricade, having only shown up as the doors had opened. 

This past Tuesday, Bea played Aragon Ballroom for a nearly sold-out venue. Having seen her fanbase grow firsthand I couldn’t contain my excitement. The album seems to be the most refined and mature music she’s released both sonically and emotionally. With influences from Pinegrove to Lana Del Rey to even her time on tour with Taylor Swift. This album scratches itches in the brain I didn’t know I had.

With two openers and many fans having waited since 9:00 am that day, the anticipation was high. As she took the stage it was immediately apparent that her confidence had grown since the last time I had seen her. It’s not that she was leaping around on stage but her presence demanded attention and engagement from the crowd. 

She made the brilliant decision of opening with the percussive and bubbly “California” off her latest album. The recognizable and catchy beginning of this song caused an eruption from the crowd, starting the performance off strong. Throughout the show, it was apparent that her discography was absolutely stacked. In each of the following songs, the fan response was equally as eruptive as the last. Her set was twenty-two songs in total ranging from early works, to offshoot singles, to almost the entirety of her new album. The setlist did not disappoint and showed her full range of musical creativity. 

Even though the fan reactions made every song seem equally relevant, there were certain songs that felt extremely notable. One of these songs was “Real Man”. She introduced it by explaining that the song came from being disappointed by a man, a feeling she believed to be unfortunately universal. The song keeps this frustrating disappointment lighthearted, playful, bluesy, and even flirtatious which was a new and fun sound from Bea. 

Another standout song was “Coffee”. Before the performance of “Coffee”, she talked briefly about her appreciation for the fans and her excitement to play the song that “kinda started it all”. It was refreshing to see an artist recognize their early music lovingly and appreciatively. “Coffee” is the epitome of her slower, softer sound that initially drew in her fanbase. Hearing “Coffee” next to her new songs where she has branched out was heartwarming and made me excited for what the future holds.

Speaking of older Beabadoobee songs, the reaction to “She Plays Bass”  was astounding, to say the least. Not only is the chemistry in her band-namely with her bassist Eliana Sewell-absolutely electric but the crowd seemed oddly invested. I would later find this due to a collective drive to convince the Bea to play the song “Fien” by Travis Scott. A loud chant echoed throughout Aragon Ballroom after she and her band left the stage. This was the most rowdy I had seen this crowd of cutesy indie be all night. 

Bea reentered the stage and the crowd was silent with anticipation of what might happen next (hoping for a live cover of “Fien”). She seemed thoroughly confused and entertained. After a small joke teasing the crowd with the idea of her playing it, she closed out her show wonderfully with “Coming Home”, “The Way Things Go”, and “See You Soon”. 

I left the concert entirely fulfilled by her performance. It felt like she had finally hit her stride with her sound and the way she performed. The album This is How Tomorrow Moves felt like a perfect unionizing of her early work and the slightly experimental sound of “Beatopia” and it was work she was clearly proud of. 

For listeners of bedroom pop longing for a little more variety in instrumentation and sound, Beabadoobee could be your girl. From soft “girl with guitar” music to punchy indie rock, I have a Beabadoobee song to listen to for almost any feeling.