REBECCa black at outset chicago
BY ADI COHENIf you told middle school me that at some point in the future I would get to photograph Rebecca Black on a Friday night, no less, I probably would not have believed you. The music video for her song “Friday" came out when I was in the seventh grade, quickly went viral, and was so much of a household hit that it even played at my Bar Mitzvah a couple months later.
A lot has changed since then, including Black’s music. The Salvation Tour named for Black’s latest album was proof of that. The album itself is 21 minutes of pure pop fun that translated amazingly into her live show. From the moment she came out on stage, the crowd was jumping, dancing and singing along every step of the way.
The show kicked off with a remixed version of “Friday” during which her dancers took the stage to get things going, she followed closely behind singing her first track of the night, “Tears In My Pocket.” Each song was full of energy and the choreography matched that. She kept the crowd engaged both with the hyped up music and dancing, but also with unique visuals and her ability to talk and connect with the crowd.
Towards the end of her set, as she was getting ready to play “Sugar Water Cyanide” she talked about how not a lot of people believed in that track in particular prior to its release. I found that to be particularly inspiring as it reinforced the message of believing in yourself and your art. It was clear that those people were wrong as the whole crowd jumped up and down and scream-sang along to the track as it played.
That was essentially the vibe most of the night. Black was able to transform her sold-out Chicago show into a safe space to dance, sing, have fun and most importantly express who you are. While the Salvation Tour has unfortunately come to a close, Rebecca Black will be joining Katy Perry on select tour dates throughout the U.S. and Canada kicking off next month, and for those local to Chicago, she will be playing the last day of Lollapalooza. Be sure to grab tickets for those events to catch her set, you will not be disappointed.
