Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
11/13/23
Rachel Platten played the Troubadour, a historic venue in Los Angeles, California on November 13th. One thing that stands out about Rachel’s music is that it is always uplifting and inspiring to others. Her hits from her 2016 sophomore album, “Fight Song,” “Stand By You,” and “Better Place” all convey the importance of keeping a positive attitude and supporting those around you. This is even apparent in her latest single, “Girls,” a song about the importance of female empowerment. Each of these uplifting songs showcases Rachel’s raw songwriting ability, as she wears her heart on her sleeve and pours her own experiences and values into every lyric.
As the doors opened and the crowd began to pour in, many adults accompanied small children, whose eyes were wide in excitement as they entered a music venue for the first time. The stage was filled with homey touches, including overlapping rugs covering the stage floor, mirrors, knicknacks, and more. It truly felt as though we had entered her living room. Many of the kids struggled with the timing of the show, insisting on sitting on the floor during the opening act, JEMS. As soon as Rachel emerged onstage, each child stood right back up and gave her their full attention. The night was filled with both unreleased and crowd favorites. As she played the unreleased songs, you could hear a pin drop in the room, as everyone was hanging onto every word she was singing.
Even though Rachel spent most of her time at the piano, this did not stop her from connecting with the audience. Both she and her guitarist, Greg Karas, transitioned to a faux rug in front of the piano. In this moment, an already intimate show became even more so. As Rachel removed her shoes and got more comfortable, she began to sing her song “You Belong,” which has since been made into a children’s book. During her song “Girls,” which she originally wrote for her daughters, Rachel dedicated the song to someone else in the crowd – her 100-year-old neighbor Gloria, a former concert pianist who had made the trek to the Troubadour. Backed by harmonies from her opener JEMS, they sang the song while looking at Gloria, who was very emotional and sobbing on the balcony.
Last but not least, Rachel returned to the stage for an encore, ending with her most popular song to date, “Fight Song.” She stripped the song back so it was just backed by piano at first, which allowed the audience to truly hear the words she was singing. By the end of the second verse, the background vocalists, guitarist, bassist (Sophie Potrykus), and drummer (Craig Meyer), all joined in to create the upbeat anthem we all love and know by heart.
Rachel hinted several times throughout the night about future shows, so keep a lookout on when she could be coming to a city near you in 2024!
