At the end of last month, pop goddess Betty Who brought her high energy live show to Portland’s Crystal Ballroom for one of the final nights of the BIG! tour. Betty has been releasing shimmery, uplifting pop music for a decade now and her latest album BIG! is perhaps her most personal and varied project to date. The album is certainly introspective, but still bursts with Betty’s signature pop bombast that translated perfectly into a live setting.
The night kicked off with RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars winner Shea Couleé as opener, who sang and rapped her recently released debut album 8 which she teased on the most recent season of All Stars. Her charisma was infectious and she had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand from the moment she strutted on stage. After a fantastic appetizer courtesy of Miss Couleé, it was Betty’s turn to drop the mic.
Dressed in a striking red suit, Betty Who took the stage to the tune of BIG! standout “Weekend” and got the party started. While the night was dedicated to BIG!, Betty showed love to her whole catalogue as she played songs from every album and EP she’s released. Songs like “Mama Say,” “High Society,” and “Somebody Loves You” had the whole crowd dancing, while other moments like “GROWN UPS GROW APART” and “THE HARD WAY” gave the room a chance to slow down and really absorb Betty’s beautiful lyrics. From top to toe, the show was a stunning showcase of what Betty Who does best and we’re so happy we got to see it!
BETTY WHO
Photos + Review by Blake Charles | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
