Nessa Barrett’s Sold Out Show at The Fillmore Silver Spring
BY LIZ BAUMMERNessa Barrett is on the rise, and nothing is slowing her down. The 22-year-old sensation is currently midway through her Aftercare World Tour. With 22 North American stops, beginning in Minneapolis and ending in Los Angeles, followed by 13 international stops, Barrett is taking the world by storm. Her Silver Spring date falls squarely in the middle of the North American leg, and in the weeks prior the hype surrounding the tour had only been building. I remember seeing the first images come out roughly two and half weeks prior and knowing that this was going to be such a fun show to watch and a fun show to capture.
On this chilly Friday night, the line at The Fillmore stretched around the building as far as the eye could see. The Fillmore staff, like they always do, had the crowd control down to a science in way that is honestly remarkable to watch as I wait to enter the building. They effortlessly funneled groups of 20ish fans at a time into two lines, bag or no bag, with a wave of the hand. They opened a second door to get fans out of the cold and inside quicker. A staff member stood on the corner where the line wraps down the next block, ensuring fans don’t block the crosswalks. And their efficiency was unmated and much needed considering, this night the venue was packed wall to wall with a sold out crowd. Every seat in the upper balcony was sold, and the GA pit was already halfway to FOH by the time I make my way inside.
Accompanying Barrett on the North American leg of tour is Ari Abdul, an artist I was admittedly not super familiar with at the time but have now had on repeat since the show. Abdul’s set stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, the vibes of the set were immaculate. Not only can Abdul obviously sing, but she puts on a show as well. In my research before the show, a fan pointed out on TikTok that Abdul’s vibe and styling reminded them of Billie Eilish, and once I saw it I couldn’t unsee it. Abdul was also joined onstage by instrumentalist Constance Antoinette on guitar, and the two together were creating magic. The way they playfully moved around and interacted on stage created many amazing moments for fans and for the photographers in the pit. The second thing that stood out to me about Abdul’s performance is that she did one of my favorite things an artist can do, she really prioritized interacting with her fans. At one point she grabbed a fan’s phone and filmed herself and the fans from the stage. At another point she sat on the edge of the stage and took a custom-made hat, complete with her name, from a fan which she then wore throughout her performance. An artist’s ability to connect with their fans is such a special skill, and doing so always makes a performance even more dynamic. While I didn’t know much about Abdul going into this show, her performance opening for Barrett has made me a fan for life. I am truly so excited to see where she will go next and to catch her when she tours again.
The anticipation was palpable in the venue as fans attempted to inch closer and closer to the barricade in anticipation of Barrett’s entrance. When Barrett did take the stage, the venue was ringing with cheers and claps. Barrett opened her performance with S.L.U.T. at the elevated microphone center stage. It is amazing how dynamic Barrett was able to make this singular location at the beginning on her set. While she did move away from the microphone on two occasions during the first three songs (and later on during the rest of the show), she spent most of her time at the microphone during my time in the photo pit. For a photographer, that can be slightly nerve wracking because you want variety in your images, but any concern I may have had immediately went away. Barrett is a stellar performer who provided so much variety even when she didn’t necessarily change location on the stage itself. She walked around the microphone, she leaned into the microphone, she squatted next to the microphone, she knelt next to the microphone. Never once did her performance feel stagnant. Every choice felt perfectly thought out and intentional including her stage positioning and her choice to move away from and return to that center microphone throughout the show. It is not an exaggeration at all to say, Barrett’s stellar stage presence and performance skills made this show some of the most fun I have ever had in the photo pit. Not only does Barrett have insane vocal talent, but she has a presence and a way of commanding the stage that elevates her vocals and performance to pop stardom.
I also absolutely loved the production elements of Barrett’s show. The lights were stunning and bright and varied throughout the entire show in ways that really added to the other production elements and Barrett’s performance (and in all honestly made capturing the performance a breeze!). My personal favorite was the black and white graphics that Barrett had on the screen behind her to accompany her performance. The graphics changed with different songs with some graphics featuring Barrett herself while others featured other content, such as during American Beauty when the screen displayed images and videos of women throughout history. The thoughtfulness with which they were chosen, the style of the graphics, and the way in which they were displayed throughout the show really enhanced the performance as a whole.
Overall, the success of this tour and the continued success of Barrett should not come as a surprise. If you’ve seen her on stage, you’ll understand why I firmly believe that she has cemented herself in the music world. If you haven’t seen her onstage and get the opportunity to snag a ticket, I would definitely recommend this show. I can say with confidence that I’m sure this isn’t the last time we will see her on tour. With her vocal talents and performance skills, I can only imagine the success that is going to continue to come her way!
