Heeled boots step through the icy slush covering the sidewalks all the way from the venue entrance down the street and across the overpass. The lights of nearby restaurants reflect in the snowbanks and in the eyes of excited fans. The air is filled with excitement, anticipation, and some complaints about the cold winter weather. Above the entrance of the Citizens House of Blues Boston is a sign announcing the concert that evening: Lauren Spencer Smith as part of The Art of Being a Mess Tour. Known for songs such as “Fingers Crossed,” “Flowers,” and “IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL),” Spencer Smith has been singing since 2014. She’s gained fans from song covers on YouTube, American Idol, and TikTok, and has since evolved her music and fanbase. Spencer Smith released her second album, The Art of Being a Mess, in June 2025 (and the deluxe version in February 2026), and is now on tour for this record. I am so thankful to have gotten the chance to see Lauren Spencer Smith in Boston, Massachusetts, on Feb. 21, 2026. Spencer Smith, along with the opening artists (Maisy Kay and Sadie Jean), created a welcoming space for fans to feel every emotion and experience loudly and passionately.
MAISY KAY
The venue begins to fill with fans as soon as the doors open, with many of them relieved to be warm again. As the merchandise table opens, the line forms instantly and begins to wrap around the edge of the floor. Fans also rush to the “secret box” next to the merchandise, where they write a secret that might be read later in the show. As they return to their seats or spots in the crowd, the venue is immersed in darkness, signaling the start of the first opening artist’s performance. Maisy Kay twirls onto the stage with a fairy-like appearance, with her blue dress shimmering under the purple lighting.
Her first song of the set, “Somebody You Never Touched,” is pure synth-pop perfection that enchants every person in her presence. Kay continues to glow with every song, from the dancey “Technicolor Honeymoon” to the dreamy “Love Is A God.” Her butterfly-adorned microphone reflects colorful light like a disco ball. Fans join in to sing along to the singer as she covers Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” captivated by how she makes the song her own. Kay wraps up her set with “Vantablack,” with fans bouncing and moving to the beat of the tune. Just as quickly as she appeared, Maisy Kay struts off the stage, leaving fans in love with her unique sound and adding her songs to their playlists.
SADIE JEAN
Between the two opening performances is a short break, filled with back-to-back One Direction songs (which is no surprise, seeing how much Lauren Spencer Smith loves their music). The voices of fans fill the space, singing along to “Midnight Memories,” “Story of My Life,” and “One Thing.” The crowd’s singing turns into cheering as the music stops and Sadie Jean steps into the spotlight while singing “I Tried.” Her bright personality contrasts with her dark, flower-patterned outfit and soft lyrics. Fans immediately sing along with her, knowing the lyrics to most of her songs already.
From playing guitar for “Slow Burn” to introducing her band (Travis Harwick on drums and Andrew Wholf on guitar and keys) during a break, Sadie Jean brings energy to the growing crowd. She recently released her debut album, Early Twenties Torture, back in October 2025, and many of Spencer Smith’s fans already knew the lyrics. For her last song, “WYD Now?,” the singing of the crowd swelled to fill the venue, with an immense amount of support being shown to Sadie Jean as the final opener.
Karma, Crashouts, and Phone Calls
The audience buzzes in anticipation after Sadie Jean as they prepare for Lauren Spencer Smith’s set. Fans sing along to popular tunes, such as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” and Sombr’s “Undressed,” and do some last-minute merchandise shopping. The dim lights shimmering throughout the venue disappear, and the background music cuts out, leaving the crowd shouting with excitement. The band members, Johnny Murray (guitarist) and Steven Velasquez (drummer), move to their instruments in preparation for the first song. Lauren Spencer Smith strides onto the stage, illuminated by red lighting and waving to the cheering fans, before kicking off her set with “IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL).”
Fans pour their passion into every word that they sing, feeling a deep connection with each other and with Spencer Smith’s tunes. The bridge of “28” can be heard echoing throughout the room. The singer climbs up onto overlapping white blocks for the end of the song, tossing her braided hair and punching her fist into the air while “crashing out.” A couple of songs later, Spencer Smith begins to sing “WORSE” before a call interrupts her from the telephone booth, lighting up on stage. The crowd’s voices crash into silence as she answers the call but immediately recover as she continues a mash-up of “bridesmaid” and “Back to Friends.”
From Heartbreak to Love
Many fans of Lauren Spencer Smith gravitated toward her music in times of pain, heartbreak, and loneliness. These fans find closure and healing at the concert by putting their despair into voices. Spencer Smith sings about everyone, from cheaters to narcissists, and even ex-best friends, with fans creating a sea of phone flashlights for many of these slower songs. Still, she shines light on the beauty of loving relationships during “That Part” and “out of the BLUE.” Lauren Spencer Smith instills hope in fans that they can also find their own happiness when the time is right.
Secrets and Surprises
Murmurs and whispers fill the room as the singer brings the “secret box” from the merchandise table onto the stage. After explaining how the box’s secrets will be revealed, she hand-picks a few fans from the crowd to read a random secret into the microphone for everyone to hear. The secrets admit everything from cheating to celebrity crushes, and even embarrassing concert moments. Spencer Smith wraps up that portion of her set by singing “SECRET,” before continuing with tunes such as “Flowers” and “small.” Later on, the artist brings out the “Wheel Of Feels” and a fan named Wyatt to choose a surprise cover song from the color-coded wheel. After the fan mentions his dream song to hear, Spencer Smith quickly spins the wheel to the matching color and sings “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish to the shocked crowd.
Lasting Memories
After Lauren Spencer Smith sings “WORSE” again (but the entire song) and departs from the stage, fans are left in darkness, hoping for an encore. Their pleas and chants are met with an encore of two songs: “Fingers Crossed” and “Sticks & Stones.” Fans even work together to surprise the singer during the second verse of “Fingers Crossed” by chanting “BAM BAM BAM” in between each line, which hadn’t happened on the tour yet but has been a tour tradition in the past.
As Lauren Spencer Smith thanks the fans and leaves for the final time that night, the crowd is left with teary eyes and memories to last forever. Friends take photos of each other in front of the stage, and the line at the merchandise table begins to grow again. The cold Boston air hits the leaving crowd’s faces as the sidewalks are filled with fans rushing to their cars to get warm again and listen to all three artists’ songs on their way home.
Secrets were shared and emotions were expressed during the performances by Lauren Spencer Smith, Sadie Jean, and Maisy Kay. Boston’s fans are always the loudest at shows and matched the incredible energy of all three artists throughout the entire night. The Art of Being a Mess perfectly encapsulates every feeling, good and bad, and hearing this album live was like a much-needed therapy session. Even if you missed out on this show, Spencer Smith is still touring throughout North America in March 2026 and Europe in July 2026, before returning to Canada in early 2027 with Hilary Duff. The biggest secret revealed during the show isn’t about a relationship: it’s actually how comforting and welcoming a Lauren Spencer Smith concert is.