Photo credit: Melissa Miller
The tale of the one hit wonder is all too common in the world of pop, but Carly Rae Jepsen was determined to not let that happen. After selling over 18 million copies of her single “Call Me Maybe” in 2012, Jepsen enlisted a handful of producers and songwriters in the creation of over 200 potential tracks for her follow up. The result was Emotion, released last summer to a positive critical reception. Its modern take on the blissful dance pop of the ’80s proved that she had more to offer than just “Call Me Maybe,” and this past Friday, Carly Rae Jepsen proved herself a very gifted live performer as well, onstage at Turner Hall Ballroom as part of her Gimme Love tour.
Following a charming set of harmony driven folk pop from Los Angeles trio Fairground Saints and an overall forgettable set from New York dance pop quartet Cardiknox, Jepsen took the Turner Hall stage to a nearly packed house. Lit in hyper-bright neon colors, Jepsen and her four-piece band energetically launched into “Run Away With Me,” the opening track on Emotion. Emotion is very much a studio album, its songs meticulously crafted and consciously labored over, but Jepsen presented the songs with as much power and force onstage as they have on record, and her sidemen help her recreate the songs in a way that’s incredibly live, spacious and fluid. The Michael Jackson-esque “Boy Problems,” Emotion’s title track and the fan favorite “This Kiss” all followed in quick succession, transforming Turner Hall into one massive dance floor.
The performer has previously confessed that she’s not a gifted dancer, but what she may lack choreographically she makes up for with genuine charm and exuberance. Throughout the evening, Jepsen delightfully interacted with her band and audience. The outright enthusiasm seen in her stage presence made every song seem as though it were as big of a hit as “Call Me Maybe” and her devoted audience responded in a way that would easily lead one to believe so.
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“This might be the best show of the tour,” she remarked between songs. “Bob Saget is here!” The actor and comedian, who had performed at the Pabst earlier in the evening, surprised Jepsen on stage for a rendition of the Full House theme, of which she had recently recorded for the show’s Fuller House spin off. While Saget is hardly a vocalist, the impromptu performance was certainly one of the evening’s highlights.
While it’s clear that the audience at Turner Hall was having a blast, one could argue that the only person having more fun than them was Jepsen herself and she wasn’t afraid to show it. She may have yet to repeat the sort of success she achieved in 2012; what she has done, however, is establish herself as a gifted artist, songwriter and performer who will continue to create quality pop music, and Friday’s performance was no exception.
