Addison Rae serves “High Fashion” energy on “The Addison Tour”
Graphic by Dashel Grossman
On October 10th, Addison Rae graced Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago with her popstar debut, “The Addison Tour.” The show was an homage to the history of pop paired with sensationally unique artistry.
From the moment the heavenly “A” gates opened, and the audience heard a contorted voice repeatedly blurt “A” with a harp calmly playing in the back of the track, we entered Addison's world. Stage lighting transported the audience, strobing rapidly and driving through tunnels until we exited to a new vibrant technicolor world.
“Tell me who I am. Do I provoke you with my tone of innocence?” are the first words we hear from Rae. In a puffy white mini dress, she looked around in a manner similar to Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” when she entered the newly colorful world and shared with Toto, her beloved dog, that she feels they aren’t in Kansas anymore. However, this hesitant state of “arrival” on stage doesn’t last long.
Addison quickly established her on-stage fluency with lyrical dancing and a calm confidence. However, when someone is as theatrical and invested in their craft as Rae, it can at times cause a divide between the performer and the audience. Especially with Byline’s castle-like internal architecture and the galaxy painted ceiling, it would be easy for Addison to get lost in the performance. And yet, she defied these likely pitfalls, as explored in the themes from songs like “Fame is a Gun” and “High Fashion,” common in touring artists, and does so through her use of fashion.
Rae cheekily teased the transition from the innocence of her opening outfit. When this Dorothy-like character Rae puts on turned around, she revealed the open back of her dress and the neon lingerie set she wore in a style similar to Britney Spears on her “The M+M’s Tour” underneath. At first glance I thought this was a wardrobe malfunction. Why would she let us see the next outfit early? Is this unprofessional?
Addison Rae used multiple outfit changes to channel the themes of fame, confidence and glamour in her music. / Photos by Trevor Nichols
As her performance continued however, I realized her use of this almost crafty dress was intentional. Following the opening performance, Addison sang the club-ready “New York” — a track that screams themes of pure freedom over a pulsating jersey club beat, the perfect time if any to wear a fluorescent bustier. This starkly changed the tone of her performance from expressing the dangers of fame and glamour to confidence in embracing new experiences and taking risks.
The dress, including its outfit-revealing open back, was telling us something. Rae was encouraging the audience to engage and analyze her styling as a completely independent aspect of her performance beyond her vocals and choreography. She wasn’t wasting any time, so keep up. This uniquely made “High Fashion” an intrinsic part of “The Addison Tour” while solidifying the complexity, expertise and desire for audience connection the artist brings to her craft.
The climax of her concert was the performance of her biggest song, “Diet Pepsi.” It was as though a summer breeze and the smell of a crisp iced drink on the beach sailed through the room. The stage fans blew Rae’s hair as though she was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible.
As she paused, her dance team attached an enormous swan-inspired white skirt to pair with Rae’s silver diamond bedazzled bra. Once secure, she shook her hair out, flipped it down and pulled her hair back into a messy bun, since she shared how hot it was in the venue. Something about this sequence left me stunned. As if it were nothing, Rae completed this outfit change on stage, and took time out of her performance to do something as normal as put her hair up in a bun.
The show wasn’t perfect or a flawless production, but it was human – and perfectly so. Addison Rae delivered a stunning presentation through her quirky personality, oozing artistry and pure enjoyment of performing. Her creative use of fashion established the high caliber of her performance and connection with her audience.