REVIEW: KING PRINCESS @ ROADRUNNER 10/5

By: Olivia Pepe

On October 5th King Princess played at the Roadrunner in Boston. With St. Panther opening and two local drag queens performing after, @throbzombie and @static_boston, the show was eclectic and energetic from start to finish. 

King Princess’ captivated the audience. Few times I have been to a concert where I have been convinced that the artist’s nonchalant speech given to the audience was non-scripted. However, the ease and humor in which King Princess addressed her fans was authentic and entertaining all the same. When entering the stage, Mikaela Straus, known as King Princess, accidentally spilled her drink that was sitting near her feet. While singing her first song “Cursed” from her 2022 album “Hold on Baby”, her crew was cleaning up the spill. She giggled in between lyrics and remarked “Oopsie I spilled”. Talking mid-song is something that most artists can never do seamlessly, however, King Princess did it with ease, adding to her performance. 

At only 23 years old, King Princess is at the beginning of her career. Her EP “Make my Bed”  was released only four years ago in 2018. And even though her “Hold on Baby” tour is her first solo tour in two and half years, King Princess performs like a seasoned artist who has been touring for decades while simultaneously bringing a youthful energy to the stage. Her commitment to fan interaction during her show and her support of local drag queens by bringing them to the stage before her set felt very indicative of a Gen–Z artist. One of the fans in the front had a sign about it being their birthday- King Princess brought them up to the barricade, got the whole audience to say “Happy Birthday Rosie”, and she sang to her. King princess runs the show. 

King Princess is queer and many of her lyrics are about worshipping women. Typically, popular music written about women comes from straight men. The beauty in which King Princess’ lyrics describes women is so refreshing in a music industry dominated by heterosexual voices. 

King Princess’ indie pop sound transfers perfectly onto the stage. Accompanied by a guitarist, bassist, pianist, and drums the sound was full and vibrant. She also played guitar and keys at various points in the show proving the versatility of her talent. King Princess floated across the stage and often hopped off the stage to sing directly to the fans standing right up against the barricade. During “Talia”, one of her most popular and upbeat songs, she walked through the crowd. She let her fans scream the lyrics into the microphone. During “Upper West Side” another song from her EP, fans sang the whole chorus. Her voice, both leveled and powerful, sounded even better live than in her recordings. 

Overall King Princess put on a phenomenal show. Her stage presence, in my opinion, is unmatched from any other artist of the same age that I’ve seen recently. She is entirely comfortable on stage hence making the audience comfortable and constantly engaged. I believe Mikaela Straus is a force to be reckoned with and is only at the beginning of what I believe will be a very successful career.