Chelsea Cutler with Alexander 23 and X Lovers
Mercury Ballroom
Louisville, KY
February 23rd, 2020
Words and images by Emily May
Chelsea Cutler is an artist on the rise with the recent release of her latest album How To Be Human. She is currently on tour to promote the album and made a stop in Louisville, KY. The venue was packed this evening with fans, a festive atmosphere filling the venue with fans who were ready to have a great time. An EDM/Pop artist from Connecticut, Cutler has grown a solid and loyal fanbase since starting out in 2014 at the age of 17, appealing to a younger fanbase that has grown alongside her over the years. Starting out the evening was LA-based pop group X Lovers. Singer/guitarist London Jackson and drummer Jacob Ames were pure energy and smiles as soon as they walked out on stage. Building an instant rapport with the audience, their infectious energy making an instant connection with everyone in the crowd. This evening was also Ames birthday, which made the night even more special! Next up was LA pop artist Alexander 23. With a large neon heart that had Alexander 23 inscribed in the center as a backdrop, he told the crowd the this was his first time in Louisville and thanked them for the warm welcome. Having just released his first song “Dirty AF1s” in April of last year, he has seen a rise in popularity with his music in a short amount of time! Singing several of his hits this evening, such as “Dirty AF1s”, “When I Die” and “I Hate You So Much”, he had the crowd singing along and dancing in no time. He also sang fun covers of “Party In The USA”, saying “This song isn’t one of my songs but is one of my favorite songs and it’s your favorite too!”, and of the 80’s hit “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”.
Next up was the moment that many had been waiting for! Chelsea Cutler came out onto the stage to deafening applause. Her stage was set up with screens that went up the side and across the top of the stage, displaying a variety of designs and colorful lighting, as well as a screen at the back of the stage that showed scenes of press she had done for her new album as she and her band mates walked out onto the stage. With her drummer and keyboardist set up on a platform behind her, it was a fun and vibrant stage production. Early on in her set, she had the members of X Lovers come out on stage, having Ames chug a bottle of alcohol for his birthday while the crowd sang to him, making for a fun moment on stage and for the crowd! Performing several songs from her new album, such as “Are You Listening”, “What Would It Take”, “Strangers Again” and “I Miss You”, she played some older songs, as well, such as “Cold Showers”, “Love You More” and “Mess”. Early in the set Cutler performed the title track from her new album, telling the crowd to put both hands up in the air, and that when they are up like that, they can’t be on Instagram or Snapchat, but rather just be in the moment. It is obvious that her music means a lot to her fans. As they sang along, you could see that they felt the lyrics and wore their emotions on their face. Cutler alternated throughout the evening between simply singing to also playing the guitar and synthesizer on some of her songs. She made great use of the stage, pacing from one side to the other throughout her set, interacting with the crowd as much as possible and engaging them in sing alongs. As she left the stage after her “last song”, Cutler quickly came back out, inviting Alexander 23 onto the stage with her to sing their song “Lucky”. What a treat that was! Also singing a great cover of The Killer’s “Mr Brightside”, she ended the show with “Your Shirt”. Chelsea Cutler puts on an incredibly fun and energetic performance and it was evident that the crowd had a great time this evening!
