MOLLY GRACE AT THE ATLANTIS
BY LIZ BAUMMERI, and I imagine many others, stumbled upon Molly Grace on TikTok one day, and I have never been the same since. Since hearing “I’m a lover. I’m a flirt. Sagittarius, baby, I’m an extrovert.”, I’ve been hooked on every song Molly Grace has ever released and for good reason. Her unique style of pop music is upbeat, dance-worthy, glittery, and soulful all wrapped up in one, and her insane vocals easily back that up. It’s no surprise that the DC stop on her recent tour was sold out. I, quite honestly, have never seen such a long line queued up to enter The Atlantis. Wall to wall people would be an understatement. But even with that many people crowded into the venue; the whole show felt like an intimate, safe space. I love when queer artists have cultivated a fanbase that promotes a safe and welcoming space for everyone to come enjoy their music. The pre-show playlist included blasting other queer icons, including Chappell Roan while the whole venue sang along at the top of their lungs.
Claire Ernst started the night off, and oh my goodness did she impress. I personally love how fun but soothing her vocals are on her songs. Her songs are upbeat and poppy while also having a laid-back jazz-type vibe. My personal favorite that she performed is her song Broke which describes the experience of dating someone is constantly asking you to spot them for expenses claiming they are going to pay you back. Ernst goes so far as to say she would likely have to buy her own ring when the time came. Ernst describes how gorgeous this person is all while trying to reconcile that she has a job and they do not (and seems to have no motivation to get one either). It’s the epitome of an anthem for dating someone when you are out of their league. The whole song feels so relatable and funny because many of us have been there before.
On top of her singing abilities, Ernst set just exuded happiness. She took time to talk to the audience. She spent time between songs visibly laughing and smiling ear to ear. Ernst was clearly having such a good time onstage, something that I strongly believe translates into audience experience. The lighting for Ernst set was also spectacular! So many beautiful colors were used to light her throughout the show in so many different forms, from spotlights to full stage lights. It truly was such a joy to capture her performance.
Another beautiful thing about this tour (and her other tours) is that Molly Grace and her openers seem to cultivate a beautiful bond. If you go on Instagram posts about the tour, you’ll see Ernst and Molly Grace in each other’s comments hyping each other up and singing each other’s praises. It’s heartwarming to know that a tour that brings so much joy and love to audiences is also built on a foundation of love and joy between the artists.
If there’s anything I’m convinced of after this show, it’s that Molly Grace was born to be a pop star. The banner that hangs on stage that read “But I’m a Pop Star” is 100% true. Star power practically radiates from Molly Grace. Sometimes you can truly see when someone is living their purpose, and it is so obvious when you look at Molly Grace. Obviously, Molly Grace can sing (and let me say, she has some of the best vocals I have ever heard live), but my main takeaway from the show as: the star power on stage is insane. For an artist to consistently blow every studio recording out of the water when playing live is so impressive to me. I didn’t think I could love her discography any more than I already did; but then I heard it live, and it was like hearing it for the first time again. Realistically I know it’s impossible to have a live recording from every show, but my goodness what I wouldn’t give to listen to The Atlantis show live over and over again.
I also left the show with a new favorite song which is always a pleasure. I was vaguely familiar with “Little Bit of Hell” but hearing it live really brought it to favorite song level for me. There’s just something about it that really makes me feel seen. So often breakups can feel very either you’re angry or you wish them to the best, and Molly Grace so beautifully explores the world in between. She perfectly encapsulates the feeling of wanting that person to move on and be happy, but also for them to receive their karma in small, inconvenient ways for the way they treated you. Molly Grace said it best “You break it, you buy it baby”! I also got to hear my favorite song going into the show which is Lover (Love Her). The anthem is such a beautiful anthem to queer love. To get to experience a lesbian woman on stage, unapologetically proclaim that she loves to love her is just so beautiful when often it can be so hard to find queer safe spaces that allow queer individuals to be openly proud, loud, and unapologetic about their love.
Watching the rise of Molly Grace feels like watching the origin story of one of the greats. These feel like moments I’ll get to watch her talk about when they inevitably make a documentary about her, and say “I was there. I remember that”. Don’t be surprised if you continue to see her name everywhere. I’m personally hoping to see her return to the area for a set at All Things Go. Obviously, there’s no lineup yet…but I’m putting it out into the universe. I mean Molly Grace has also mentioned wanting to play All Things Go and great minds think alike ;) One can dream!
