"Sasha Alex Sloan puts on a beautiful lively show with stage lights in different colors and has a good time interacting with her fans. If a laidback concert with strong feels is what you’re needing, then her tour is for you."
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Must See
Sasha Alex Sloan with slimdan and Jessie Murph
McMenamins Crystal Ballroom // Portland, OR // August 23, 2022
Review by Bruna Cucolo
A night with less than happy tunes but with an opposite feeling from being present, this was a time to sing with similar strangers while feeling one self’s feelings and enjoying a few incredible artists’ sets. The alternative pop solo artist Sasha Alex Sloan is currently headlining her I Blame The World Tour and with her are slimdan and Jessie Murph. Sloan’s 17th tour stop was in Portland, OR where she performed at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom on Aug. 23. Also known as Sad Girl Sloan through her socials, Sloan’s songs tend to be sad and contemplate things in life but in a way that is incredibly relatable and makes the listener feel less alone — this made the show feel more intimate.
Opening the night was slimdan, an LA-based singer, who was great for starting the concert in a feel-good way. Although with only a handful of songs on the setlist, including part of “You’ll Be in My Heart” from the Disney movie Tarzan, the crowd was very into it, clapping with the artist and really tuning in. Following the first set was the second opener, Jessie Murph. Many in the audience were very eager to see her perform — she’s the singer of “Always Been You.” Murph sang 10 songs including a couple of covers, one being “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo, which fans of the 2014 song sang loudly. She also performed a few unreleased tracks that people seemed to enjoy and get excited about. The transition from her set to the headliner’s was excellent with the vibes Murph left for Sloan’s set.
Set intros are important because in a way it is like it’s welcoming the audience and gets them hyped for the headliner to appear. The entire stage was lit in red, and a deep voice went on with an introduction ending with, “Give it up for Sasha Alex Sloan,” whom the crowd shouted in enthusiasm for. The enthusiastic shouts and cries continued as she began singing the upbeat album-titled song from her latest record, “I Blame The World,” while wearing a black button-up shirt with flames coming from the bottom matching with her band. It was a cool look. Shortly after the beginning of the set she asked those in attendance, “Are we ready to get sad tonight?” in which the room filled with an ironic cheer.
Sloan projects as a very friendly, lowkey person that makes her appearance onstage seem more authentic — her music alone is so real with such raw lyrics that the night felt like a warm hug from a close friend. Her setlist, which was made up of over 15 songs including an encore set, had tracks that had fans belting out the words to as if they knew exactly what Sloan meant in her messages. Some of these songs were “Thank You,” “at least i look cool,” “Lie” and “Is It Just Me?” A memorable part of the set was when she covered Hoobastank’s “The Reason,” one of her favorite songs.
It’s not every artist that can just sing such personal songs like these yet have people in the crowd feeling whole and having fun. Sasha Alex Sloan puts on a beautiful lively show with stage lights in different colors and has a good time interacting with her fans. If a laidback concert with strong feels is what you’re needing, then her tour is for you. Her I Blame The World Tour continues in North America through part of September, then in October, she’s taking the tour to Europe. Tickets can be purchased here. Get into your feelings while witnessing such a talented performer with songs of real-life emotions.
Photo credit: Lucy Sandler
