“Fuck DeSantis! Fuck DeSantis! Fuck DeSantis!”
That’s what the crowd chanted – loudly – at a late October Chappell Roan concert. It was preceded by chants of, “Gay! Gay! Gay!”
The mostly female audience at Fort Lauderdale’s Revolution Live was as raucous and raunchy as Roan, the 25-year-old queer singer-songwriter. She is opening for another artist in Miami on March 6 at the Kaseya Center, so fans will have another opportunity to see her in South Florida soon.
Roan’s music defies as many labels as her persona does, but The Washington Post described her debut album like this: “Her sound mixes the energy of 2008-era Lady Gaga and the lyricism of Carole King, served with a side of early-aughts Hannah Montana glam. Cheeky lyrics teeter between unabashedly horny and strikingly self-aware.”
At the Oct. 26 Revolution Live show, I cried. I laughed. It was a full range of emotions. These are songs I’ve sent to crushes and wept to. They’re soundtracks to my hot girl walks. At the show – where I felt incredibly seen and in a supportive space that DeSantis wants to erase and silence – healed me. Like I could finally stop picking at the scab.
Roan’s opening act featured multiple drag queens, including Kat Wilderness and Suzie Toot.
“It was actually really cool because one of the drag queens said, ‘Are there any lesbians here?’ and then so many people were like ‘Yes!’ and I was like ‘Oh my god,’” FAU political science graduate Isabella Feaheny said. “I don’t really use labels or anything, but I’m a queer woman for sure, so seeing so many people that are like me in one space, I was kind of shocked. It was wild.”
Wilderness and Toot gave an electrifying opening performance, with Wilderness including the trans flag in one of her dances.
“I am here, I am real, and I’m not going anywhere,” Wilderness told the enthusiastic crowd.
At Roan’s upcoming Miami concert, she opens for Olivia Rodrigo, who regularly features LGBTQ+ themes in her music and has gained a loyal queer following. As for Rodrigo’s sexual orientation, nothing has been confirmed, but fans love to frequently speculate online.
Chappell Roan opening for Olivia Rodrigo:
When: March 6
Where: Kaseya Center in Miami
Tickets: ticketmaster.com, seatgeek.com or stubhub.com
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