Reneé Rapp took a bite out of Boston on the fifth stop of her national “Bite Me” tour. I attended the Oct. 2 show and have almost no notes.
Her sophomore album was a breath of fresh air, and the tour mirrored the rebellious, pop/punk spirit of the record. The album’s namesake reflects an attitude that Rapp says she has had after the success of her first album, Snow Angel. It’s a jab at fans, music executives, and her management who have pushed her to release new music after her nearly two-year hiatus. Her response is just what the album says and shows that she released it on her own timing, not anyone else’s. I, for one, am glad she did, as the album shows the thought and time she has spent on it.
The show opened with singer SYD of the Internet. Before coming to the concert, I knew about the band and her collaborations with artists like KAYTRANADA and Kehlani, but I was not an active listener. I both enjoyed the sultry nature of her songs, which were a pairing of catchy guitar and incredible vocals. A surprise of the night was her performance of “Plastic off the Sofa,” a song that she wrote for Beyoncé to record and perform on her album “Renaissance.” I appreciated Rapp giving SYD exposure in what seemed like a form of queer camaraderie and introducing her fanbase to another LGBTQ artist.
Rapp’s portion of the show started with a skit of her acting out her being fed up with management demanding when the album was coming out. After overlapping voices of her demanding songs, explaining her hiatus, and her annoyance, it finished when the album’s lead single “Leave Me Alone” starts playing.
My favorite part of this tour was the setlist. The opening song was followed by “Kiss It Kiss It” and two other upbeat songs from her first album. It was nice to hear song after song with a similar sing-along quality. The second segment featured her alone onstage singing her ballads like “Sometimes” and “That’s so Funny,” which at the show she described as a more mature version of “Poison Poison.”
While I have seen her perform live before, it was in a music festival setting, which has its unpredictabilities. Most people who attended the festival are those who have heard of her, not people who devotedly listen to her music. I am glad that this time around I was surrounded by fans who sang every word alongside me.
Rapp’s banter and conversations with the crowd were another highlight of the show. It was a lot more entertaining to hear her cracking jokes at the start of the show and in between segments. When introducing herself and starting the show, she joked that Jason Tatum was in the audience, and gasps were heard in the audience, to which she responded he’s totally not. Rapp is known for her wittiness and “lack of media training,” so it was nice to see her personality shine through.
As each song continued to play, I couldn’t help but look around at the crowd laughing, crying, and singing along to her songs. What I appreciate about this album, and her discography altogether, is the range of sad ballads to songs you can dance along to.
Towards the end of the show, there was a portion where Renee sat at the piano and sang those ballads that she is known for. On some tour spots, she has covered songs like “Ego” by Beyoncé and “Love” by Keisha Cole. However, in Boston, it would have been criminal for her not to sing her song “I Hate Boston.”
I was thrilled to hear her sing it and to hear those first few chords of her iconic song for the state’s capital. After finishing belting the song’s end, she said it was unfair how much hate she gave the city, given how amazing the crowd was that night.
The loudest song of the night definitely belonged to the viral ballad, “I Think I like You Better When You’re Gone,” which had a moment on TikTok. Singers like Lara Raj from Katseye and Tori Kelly covered the song, and others used it as a break-up anthem with lyrics like, “I think I like you better when you’re/Across the f**cking country/Three thousand miles away/Three time zones from my face.”
Other than shocking me with her dancing skills, which confirmed she is a triple threat being a singer, actor, and now dancer, I loved her performance of “Swim” from the album Snow Angel. After disappearing from the stage, I looked up to see her on the big screen holding a phone from her point of view as she walked through the audience. Rapp interacted with the crowd and recorded herself walking through the pit. I found it funny to see the general admission pit shift to follow her on the side she was on, with hopes of getting a picture or handshake from her.
As my first time at TD Garden, I loved the venue, and when looking around, it looked like there were no bad seats at all. I was pretty high up in the nosebleeds but had no obstructed view, or complaints about not being able to see Rapp’s performance, or the band. Overall, my experience at this concert was everything and more, and the post-concert depression is still hitting me weeks later.