Fans were more than dedicated to seeing Carly Rae Jepsen on her Orlando stop of TheDedicatedTour, as she played a SOLD OUT show at the House of Blues. 

Opening for Carly was Phoebe Ryan, who charmed the crowd with her unguarded, infectious pop songs. Uniquely, she used her hands to emphasize certain words in each song, putting all of her energy and heart into each moment.  About halfway through her set, Phoebe acknowledged that some people might not know too much about her or her music, so she took a quick second to remind everyone who she was and playfully asked everyone to “slide into her DMs.”  By the time her set was over, it felt as if we gained a new best friend.  

After looking around at the humungous disco ball and neon rectangles hanging from the ceiling, it was evident that Carly’s set was going to be whimsical and enchanting.  Carly played a long set that consisted of songs from her recent albums, Dedicatedand Emotion.  It seemed like each song was everyone’s favorite song, as the whole room sang the lyrics back to her at full volume.  The love and respect for Carly and for the concert experience was almost tangible, as couples and friends all around the venue hugged one another and danced together throughout the evening.  Ensuring that the concert ended as magically as possible, Carly finished her set with “Cut To The Feeling,” while confetti rained onto the audience.  It was definitely a concert that people will talk about long after the summer ends.   

Phoebe Ryan

By: Christine Sloman | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!

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