REVIEW: Lauren Spencer Smith @ House of Blues 2/21
Photo Credit: Gabriele Montresol
Review by Bridget Quinn
A large crowd took over Lansdowne Street last Saturday, waiting for the doors of House of Blues to open for Lauren Spencer Smith. She’s here promoting her second studio album, “THE ART OF BEING A MESS,” released this past month. The songs on this album each tap into a strong feeling from Smith’s life: anger, love, peace, devastation, and everything in between. A perfect example of this was the pure pain of betrayal pouring from Smith during “Flowers,” one of my favorites from the night.
As fans filed in, the first of two openers had already taken the stage. I arrived inside as Maisy Kay was singing a beautiful rendition of “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele. Unfortunately, because this was a sold-out show and the House of Blues staff was moving the line quite slowly, I missed most of her set, along with much of the audience lined up outside. Maisy finished her set with an original piece and bid the crowd a good night, earning a resounding cheer. I wish I could have heard more of her set and have since gone out to listen to her released songs on streaming. Her newest EP release, “Vantablack,” has a strong electronic-pop sound that is easy to dance to, while its more melancholy lyrics fall to the background till you dare to listen.
After a short wait, paired with a One Direction playlist to keep the crowd entertained, the second opener took the stage, Sadie Jean. I had been exposed to her songs before via TikTok and was excited to see how she would command the stage. Moving around the stage like a seasoned professional, she interacted with her band and the fans around the stage, creating a show hard to look away from. Faces of recognition could be seen throughout the venue as she strummed an older hit, “Just Because.” Ending on a heavy hitter, she played her first song, “WYD Now?” As the audience sang along with Jean, emotion poured through the venue. The song’s message of never forgetting or moving on from an old love obviously resonated with the crowd. Overall, Sadie Jean was a great choice for an opening act with her lyricism akin to Lauren Spencer Smith, preparing the audience for an emotion-filled performance to come.
The tension in the venue buzzed even higher as the stagehands began to reveal the main set piece by piece. A bus station bench and pay phone came together, raising anticipation. When the payphone began to ring and light up, the crowd fell silent, waiting. Suddenly, the stage was bathed in moving lights, and Smith appeared, starting strong with “IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL).” Fans erupted, singing back every word. The energy didn’t stop there; she artfully moved across the set, flowing into her next two songs, “Lighting the Flame” and “28.” Smith then took a brief break from singing, connecting with her fans more deeply whilst introducing the next song. Pulling on the idea that her emotional songs represent hard battles we’ve all fought and won, she began “Bigger Person.”
Bringing the band to a halt, the payphone begins to ring again. This time, a voice comes through the receiver: one of Smith’s friends, offering support through a ‘friend breakup.’ This call was a precursor to what was to come, a mashup of three songs: “bridesmaid”, “WORSE,” and “Back to Friends.” All three songs Smith wrote about feelings from the end of a relationship are an obvious medley. The show then slowed, all the pain behind these songs clear in her voice, delivering “Parallel Universe” and “Narcissist.” Continuing with this slower pace, Smith takes a seat on the bus bench and awes the audience with her truly incredible vocals, singing “The Problem.” I was mesmerized by her voice during this song, her ability to sound exactly like the recorded version. Not a note out of place. Moving from the bench to the other side of the stage, Smith continued with a soulful “Best Friend Breakup.” The stagecraft was perfect for Smith’s show, creating two places for her to sit and serenade the audience during her handful of slower, emotional songs. These sitting places allowed her to connect with the audience more intimately and feel as if she was slowing down with the songs, really letting the words pour out of her.
Now it was time for a segment that Smith does at every show, ‘Tell me a Secret.’ Pre-show at her merch booth, she leaves a box for fans to put their secrets in. She then has fans pull from the box at random and read them off to the crowd. This bit introduces the popular song from the tour album, “SECRET.” Tonight’s secrets ranged from true confessions, “I’m married but in love with my coworker,” to funny anecdotes, “I would smash Rob from Love Island.” My favorite was one that many avid concert fans could probably relate to, even if they’ve never actually done it: “I peed my pants at a Morgan Wallen concert because I didn’t want to miss anything.”
The bit and song conclude when the concert is interrupted by the payphone, ringing with a message from her boyfriend telling her he misses her. His voice flows into Smith’s as she sings two originals on love and relationships, “That Part” and “Out of the Blue.” She then delivered a thoughtful monologue on how she started making music and the pride she feels in her songs, noting that this next one is the track she’s most proud of. The opening guitar of “Flowers” picks up, strumming her most popular song; the crowd makes that clear.
The final phone call of the show rings as the payphone lights up once again. This time, it’s a little girl’s voice emanating from the receiver: a young Lauren Spencer Smith. What she said really resonated with me: “Your body was never supposed to be a project.” I feel like it will be for many more people trying to conform to societal pressures of what they are expected to look like. Smith launches into her soulful song, “small,” about the body issue she has had to overcome. After the heaviness left on the crowd, she tries to bring a laugh to the crowd while also introducing her next song about death with an “if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry,” launching into “Looking Up” and “somebody you’re supposed to love.”
There’s a quick vibe change when circus music fills the venue, and a spinning wheel is brought out on stage. Smith chooses a fan from the pit, 14-year-old Wyatt, to help spin the wheel and decide which song she will cover for this show. Of the options, the fan had a clear favorite, Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever.” With some help from Smith, the wheel landed on the fans’ first choice, and she performed the cover wonderfully. Smith finished up the main set with three high-energy favorites from the new album: “Thick Skin,” “Pray,” and “WORSE.”
As fans chanted for one more song, Smith took the stage and played the song that made me take notice of her, “Fingers Crossed.” It’s a song reminiscing about false promises and hope. She finished the show on “Sticks & Stones,” a dance hit, leaving the audience with adrenaline pumping and feeling empowered upon their exit from the House of Blues.
Overall, Lauren Spencer Smith put on a beautiful show, making full use of the entire stage. By incorporating these two different scenes, she created an environment for the songs to flourish, helping fans dive into the stories behind them. Her dynamic movements and stunning vocals captivated the audience and transported them on an emotional rollercoaster, allowing them to revel in the shared experience.