High humidity and intermittent rain was the forecast for the evening of Sunday, September 10th. Typical New York City late summer weather was in full effect as fans began to congregate outside of the Seaport Districts newest venue, The Rooftop at Pier 17. Swedish musician, Tove Lo, was bringing her Dirt Femme tour back for a second sold out performance in the Big Apple. Joining her on the tour was Phoenix, Arizona native, UPSAHL, who kicked off the evenings festivities.
As the clouds broke and the early evening sun began to peek through the clouds, UPSAHL and her bandmates graced center stage. Donning a white jumpsuit, she grabbed the microphone from the stand and immediately ripped into “People I Don’t Like”. The energy never faded throughout her 30 minute set and the rain seemed like it was going to hold off for a little while longer.
As UPSAHL thanked the crowd and left the stage, the last bits of sun slipped behind the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan that surrounded the venue. A dark rain cloud moved over the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance, making its way to the venue. Raindrops began to sprinkle down on the crowd as the sets were being changed and not before long, the venue lights went to black and the star of the show was about to come out.
Opening with “Pineapple Slice”, Tove Lo busted onto the stage, donning a cheesy grin from ear to ear. Back in one of her favorite cities, Tove Lo gave her fans everything they could ask for and more. Breaking down her just-over-an-hour-long set into three sections where “we’re going to dance a lot, then we’re going to be sad for a little, and then we will dance again”, she explained.
Three songs into the performance and Tove Lo had her first outfit change of the night, returning to the stage in a sleek black bodysuit for “Talking Body”. At this point, the rain was pouring down on the crowd but there wasn’t a single care to be given. Groups of friends were dancing with each other, screaming along the words to every song. The spirits were extremely high, despite the less than satisfactory weather.
Tove Lo continued her performance for 17 songs that spanned across her career including “Suburbia”, “Are u gonna tell her?” and her newest song, “Elevator Eyes”. Tove Lo retreated backstage for a quick break before returning to the stage for a three song encore that ended the performance on a high note with her smash hit single “Habits (Stay High)” and “No One Dies From Love”. The crowd was loving every moment of it, wet from a mixture of sweat and rain, there were nothing but smiles strapped across the faces of fans as they exited the venue and took to the New York streets to bask in the final days of summer.
Tove Lo shined in her sold out performance at Pier 17 and proved that she can put on an event for the ages despite any and all circumstances. It has been a true joy getting to see the progressions and growth of Tove Lo throughout her career. With the release of Dirt Femme, her fifth studio album, Tove Lo’s confidence is at an all time high and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the powerhouse superstar.
UPSAHL
