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As a veteran of the pop industry, Carly Rae Jepsen knows how to reinvent herself. She found an acoustic folk debut in 2008’s “Tug of War” before she was more broadly introduced to audiences through her Grammy-nominated record “Kiss” — the album produced some of her most commercially successful singles like “Call Me Maybe” and “Good Time” with Owl City. Since her breakout success in 2012, Jepsen has shed the mainstream and found herself a darling of the indie-pop scene with the synth-pop and disco-inspired musings on her third and fourth albums, “Emotion” in 2015 and “Dedicated” in 2019.
Jepsen has dipped her toe into every genre; based on its available singles, “The Loneliest Time” looks to culminate every facet of a fifteen-year career. “Western Wind” is an instrumental dream, an earthy blend of piano and synths punctuated by gentle percussion. “Beach House” is a fun tongue-in-cheek and somewhat satirical ode to the struggles of modern dating, and “Talking to Yourself” is reminiscent of the bold sensuality of previous songs like “Stay Away” and “L.A. Hallucinations.” With an assist from Empress Of, Jepsen has embarked on the “So Nice” North American and European tour in support of “The Loneliest Time,” and stopped by Boston’s Roadrunner on Sept. 26.
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A swath of red light bathed the stage and crowd, framing Jepsen’s silhouette and setting the tone for her setlist; passionate, energetic, fiery. From the literally star-studded staging to an anthropomorphic moon (voiced by Jepsen) that guided the audience through concert transitions to the opening lines of “This Love Isn’t Crazy” (“For some time, I’ve been waiting for your star to shine”), Jepsen’s performance was thematically celestial and ultimately otherworldly. Decked in a cloudy blue and white ensemble, she soared through the first act of her set.
The lesser-known selections like “Let’s Sort the Whole Thing Out” and “Window” were unencumbered by their relative obscurity as Jepsen’s innate theatricality brought her performance to new heights. Crowd favorites like “Run Away With Me” and “Emotion” were infused with an effortless effervescence, and though she’s certainly grown exponentially in the indie sphere, Jepsen didn’t shy away from her mainstream hits. “Call Me Maybe” and “I Really Like You” were delivered without any hint of self-deprecation but rather with a demonstrable giddiness and sincerity on par with the rest of her set.
With a 27-song setlist, Jepsen’s stamina was commendable. In leaping across the stage, trekking up flights of stairs to engage with the members of her band, and coordinating dances with backup vocalists Sophi Bairley and Julia Ross, the singer kept the energy up throughout her entire performance. With little room between songs and costume changes, Jepsen, with assistance from Bairley and Ross, made sure to engage with the crowd during her songs, casting her mic out and soliciting backing vocals from her audience.
Not to be outdone, Jepsen’s instrumentalists and backup vocalists also shine. Performances of “Run Away With Me” and “I Want You In My Room” were elevated by exceptional saxophone accompaniment from Jared Manierka, while the bridge on “Beach House” featured vocals from Manierka, along with tour guitarist Tavish Crowe, drummer Nik Pesut, and bassist Abe Nouri. Though these and other band interactions are campy and sometimes over-the-top, they are by no means ingenuine. Jepsen had effortless chemistry with every person on stage, some of whom have been performing with her for over a decade.
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By the time Jepsen is closing out the show with another crowd-favorite, 2017’s “Cut to the Feeling,” now dressed in a black ethereally draped number, it’s abundantly clear to her audience why she’s been able to sustain such a lengthy career. Reinvention, be it from year to year or from song to song, is at the heart of her discography and performance. During the show, Jepsen has been able to easily acquaint her audience with newer music while refreshing older selections with her signature vitality. With an impressively diverse repertoire that blends lyrical depth with delightful instrumentation and production and her expertise as a performer, Carly Rae Jepsen is a joy to watch.
See Carly Rae Jepsen on her ongoing tour, and listen to her new album “The Loneliest Time” on Oct. 21.
–Staff writer Abigail A. Golden can be reached at abigail.golden@thecrimson.com.
