I Saw Chappell Roan in Kansas City: Here are my Thoughts

When Chappell Roan announced that one of the three cities she was visiting in her “Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things” tour was Kansas City, I knew I absolutely had to go. I ended up getting tickets for the first show on Friday, October 3rd. Instantly, I became eager to experience the music, the performance, and the fashion. 

My best friend, my sister, and I arrived at 4, right when the gates opened, so we secured spots towards the front of the general admission area. The concert was held at the National WWI Museum and Memorial Park. It was a difficult location just because there is no incline, making it easier to see her from a distance. We were fortunate enough to see the screen perfectly, but seeing the performers on stage was a bit more challenging. Luckily, though, the weather was great, so we didn’t have any issues with the outdoor venue. We did have to wait a long time before any performance, but we were able to spend the time taking photos for Instagram. The theme of the concert was Pink Pony Club, making it super fun to dress for. It was also so fun getting to see everyone else’s outfits. I saw so many pink, bedazzled cowgirl boots and hats. I saw a couple of people go all out with outfits not fitting the theme, like a recreation of Chappell’s Statue of Liberty outfit. 

The first set of openers began to perform at 6:30. The first opener was a drag show by Kansas City locals, Minti Variety, Karmella Uchawi, and KiYanna Uchawi. This show was absolutely amazing! The performers did a wonderful job. The energy was so great, and it was wonderful to see these local drag queens performing for such a large audience. I thought it was so great that Chappell was able to support our city in that way. Seeing them perform at the concert definitely made me want to see them perform again at Hamburger Mary’s, where they normally perform. 

The second opener was Japanese Breakfast, an indie pop band. Personally, while I thought that Japanese Breakfast did perform very well, I thought that their music was a bit lowkey for Chappell Roan. At that point in the night, we had already been standing in the venue for several hours and wanted to listen to something a little bit more upbeat. While the band did have some faster songs, they weren’t really dancing or singing along songs. This was my first time hearing any of Japanese Breakfast’s songs, and I did think their music was good. However, I found myself eager for Chappell to take over the stage. 

Finally, at around 9:00, Chappell began her performance. She began her concert with “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” followed by “Femininomenon,” creating a thrilling and lively environment. Her outfit was gorgeous. Inspired by a fairy tale princess, Chappell wore a stunning long dress complete with a conical hat. Throughout the show, she changed into smaller versions of the dress, which was a super cute choice. Chappell’s voice was amazing in concert. Not all artists can hold up live as well as they do recorded, but it was clear that Chappell is an insanely talented singer. It was also just great to hear Chappell talk. Chapell is from a small town in Missouri, not incredibly far from Kansas City, so she was able to talk about her concerts being a safe place. She spoke about how being queer or different in the Midwest isn’t always easy. I thought it was so great that she was able to touch on this at her concert, and it suddenly made perfect sense why Chappell had chosen to perform her concert in Kansas City in the first place. 

Chappell ended her performance with a bang, performing everyone’s favorite, “Pink Poney Club”. This was the perfect ending to her show. It was even more significant because it was the theme of the concert. It was an amazing song to hear live.

In the end, I had a wonderful experience at the Chappell Roan concert. It was such a fun experience, from the beginning of just getting to see everyone’s outfits, to the final song. I would highly recommend seeing Chappell Roan in concert; it was definitely an experience that I won’t forget.