GREYSON CHANCE AT GRAMERCY THEATRE NYC
BY LIAM GILLIN (HE/HIM)Greyson Chance performed last night at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City to kick off his final shows for the Palladium Tour. I have been following Greyson ever since his cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” went viral years ago. My middle school years were spent watching his covers on YouTube, having “Unfriend You” on a loop, and just being blown away that a then 12 year old Greyson was filled with so much music talent. Since then, it has been amazing to see Greyson’s talents grow alongside him. Getting to cover Greyson’s show at the Gramercy Theatre felt like a completely full circle moment and I did not know what to expect.
As the crowd and I waited patiently for Greyson Chance to come on stage and perform, all you saw was a spotlight on the piano and 50s music and a bit of Amy Winehouse playing eerily throughout Gramercy. The music that an artist chooses before they hit the stage says so much about them. It shows the audience the musicians that made them. The music can be foreshadowing the vibe of the show and give the audience intimate look about who they are as a person. Hearing the classics of those before showed me that I was going to hear a different Greyson Chance that I once knew. This was going to be a new and improved Greyson Chance. His musical stylings would now be transformed into maturity and sophistication.
The red lights hit him as he began to play the piano, the crowd was calm. Greyson Chance knew exactly how to get the crowd attached to every musical note that came out of the piano. His voice echoed throughout Gramercy Theatre. He performed songs such as “Mercury Year,” “Good as Gold,” and “My Dying Spirit.” This concert had an intimacy that I had not seen in a long time. It was the first time in a long time for me at a concert where I really saw people immerse themselves into the music. I saw a few phones here and there of course to get a quick video or a post for Instagram, but overall most people had their phones away. Greyson Chance is an old soul, that’s what making him stand out from most singers his age these days. The way he could get 100% attention from the audience as he performs, it was refreshing to see.
Greyson and I are only a year a part in age. I have always loved seeing musicians evolve over time, especially when they started out at such a young age. The younger you start out in the music industry, the more you will have to constantly prove yourself as a mature musician as time goes on. See the thing with Greyson Chance, he never had to prove himself as a musician. Whether it was him at the age of 12 or at the age of 25, his talents have always spoken for himself. Greyson Chance’s show was fantastic and if he ever comes to your city, I definitely recommend going.
