Betty Who Gives Boston “A Night to Remember”

Tessa Roy ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Assistant Editor

Often times, concertgoers will talk about a performer “lighting up” a stage. Usually, these words are used to indicate whatever artist they saw gave a good performance. But let me tell you: I mean it when I say Miss Betty Who really did light up the stage at Paradise Rock Club this past weekend. The bubbly blonde singer graced the city of Boston with her presence again, continuing to delight her “Who Crew” with infectious happiness and energetic tunes.

Who kicked off her set with “High Society,” an appropriate starting point considering her tour is dubbed The High Society Tour. The song is from her first EP The Movement, so the crowd had no trouble singing along with every line, especially the declaratory “We’ll drink chardonnay through the day ‘cause we say so.” Who played other familiar favorites like “Heartbreak Dream” and “Lovin’ Start” before breaking out some new material.

Here is where the Who Crew deserves some serious credit. They knew almost every word to the new songs Who played from her debut album Take Me When You Go, yet the album was released a mere three days before she made her stop in Boston. However many times each of them played it on repeat certainly paid off, as nearly every person was able to belt the likes of “Glory Days,” “Runaways,” “A Night to Remember,” “Dreaming About You,” and “Alone Again” (which is also present on Who’s Slow Dancing EP) in their entireties.

The response from the crowd was clearly enthralling to Who, but she already has a ton of energy on her own. Not many performers are as excited to be on a stage as Betty Who. There was rarely a moment where she did not have a smile or energetic expression on her face, nor was there an extended period of time when she stood still. The bright, happy, and youth-celebrating themes in her music were reflected in her personality as she bounced around the stage, dancing and singing her giddy heart out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWEzoXgNN0s

“I feel so special,” Who exclaimed with a smile. “There’s so much love in here tonight!”

It’s quite obvious Who and the Who Crew love each other dearly. But one problem exists between them. As had happened last time Who visited the city, the crowd completely stopped paying attention when she took a moment to slow down the pace. Who sang her ballad “California Rain” while kneeling on the stage. This could have made for an intimate moment, but the fans decided they weren’t into hearing a slow song. They rudely ignored her, talking amongst themselves instead of listening to her gorgeous vocals. It’s hard to blame Who for their sudden disinterest – she can’t be expected to only sing dance anthems. There would be no diversity to her music that way. However, the Who Crew needs to somehow develop at least an appreciation for Who’s slower songs. It’s fine for them to prefer her upbeat, poppy theme. It’s even fine for them to dislike when she strays from this theme. They simply need to pay Who’s talent the attention it deserves, even when she displays it in a way that is different from what they are used to hearing.

Who’s set thankfully did not end with this disconnection. Her final number was her breakout hit, “Somebody Loves You,” which brought back the energy the crowd desired. The dancing, singing, and smiling returned, proving that all the love that was present before the “California Rain” debacle was still there. Who may be a new artist and her fans might need a slight adjustment when it comes to appreciating her different sounds, but the Who Crew is on its way to becoming one of the most dedicated fan bases in the pop music world. It will be exciting to watch them grow with Who as her career expands, and even more exciting to see what Who will come up with next.

For more information on Betty Who or The High Society Tour, visit her website.