Pop singer-songwriter Christian French’s “Avalanche” tour concert was the antidote to a classic midweek slump. French took to The Blue Note’s stage to perform his comeback tour on Sept. 22.
French’s previous tour, “bright side of the moon”, took place the fall before the pandemic in 2020 shut down live shows and music venues. French has since advertised the “Avalanche” tour as his opportunity to redeem himself. He is set to play a total of 36 shows, 29 in North America and seven in Europe. French has yet to release an album, but has released three EPs since 2018.
Music lovers filed into the venue at 7 p.m., where they were met with a colorful and simplistic stage set. The night officially began at 8 p.m. when opener Sarah Barrios, a singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, kicked off the night.
Barrios’ performance screamed early 2000s. Her attire, energy and pop music made me feel as if I were in a 2000s teenage movie, something that was extremely easy to buy into. Barrios took to the stage dancing like there was no tomorrow and encouraged the audience to do the same. The audience acted accordingly and The Blue Note was filled with dance moves that can only be described as energetic and dorky.
She played songs that invoked happiness, sadness and every emotion in between. She even threw it back to the Jonas Brothers’s song “Year 3000.” Barrios was extremely vulnerable with the crowd, talking about abusive relationships, depression and other challenges that she has taken on in her lifetime, something that added depth to her performance. My favorite song was “IH8EVERY1.” It was impossible to not sing and dance along to the catchy song loaded with angst.
“I’m just having fun jumping around; it’s been overwhelmingly amazing and beautiful,” Barrios said after her performance. “I think people are expecting something chill, and then we come out and it’s really intense — we have a very pop punk sound.”
French kicked off his performance with his song “avalanche.” It was as if the second he stepped on stage, all negative energy was thrown out of the venue. French had a smile on his face the entire show. It was very clear that he wanted to be there and wanted the audience to feel the same way. French’s passion for his work was contagious — it was impossible to not have a smile on your face while watching him perform.
He played a variety of his work, ranging from his music from his first EP to unreleased music. The most notable songs included “head first,” “i think too much” and “love ride.” All of French’s music is upbeat to a certain extent, so it was very seamless to sing along and vibe to the music.
“He’s one of those performers that has such a good presence on stage,” freshman Genevieve Geoffrion said. “His energy and emotion really captivates the audience and connects them to the music.”
French’s work is categorized as pop music, but his music allows listeners to tap into all emotions in a free-flowing manner, no matter how heavy or light the topic of the song is. These songs allow audience members to enjoy the music and ultimately to temporarily let go of the stress of life.
He is the embodiment of a teddy bear; his mannerisms are wholesome to say the least. He interacted with the audience in a multitude of ways, going as far as giving hugs to audience members during one of his songs and asking them to mirror his dance moves.
The concert lasted until about 10 p.m. As audience members left the venue, they were encouraged to purchase merchandise which included stickers, hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts.
This was not French’s first time in Columbia, and hopefully will not be his last, considering the fact that his performance was the equivalent of pure happiness.
Edited by Elise Mulligan | emulligan@themaneater.com