Hot off the heels of her successful debut EP “playpen”, the Gen Z songstress Juliet Ivy kicked off her first ever tour this past Wednesday night in San Francisco. Rickshaw Stop proved particularly fitting for Ivy’s introduction to the Bay Area, as it has stood out from other iconic SF venues by being ahead of the curve when it comes to hosting new and upcoming artists. Over the past 20 years, the 400 person venue has seen the likes of Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, Charli XCX, and many other artists grace its stage well before they became household names. Based on her performance, it may not be long before Juliet Ivy’s name is added to that list. 

Ivy took the stage and immediately dove into her set to a cheering audience. It was apparent from the first notes of the show that the crowd were no strangers to Ivy’s music. Their excitement was contagious. The fans came adorned in bows and ribbons Technical hiccups with the backing tracks caused trouble early in the set, but Ivy effortlessly turned the miscue into an opportunity to engage with the fans and share a laugh. 

Prior to the show, Ivy had a box for attendees to submit their “hot takes” to. This made its way on stage for the young star to read out her favorites. In turn the crowd cheered and booed at the takes they agreed or disagreed with respectively. It made for a fun moment in the show and will give each show on the tour a special and unique moment. This transitioned thematically into the unreleased song “is it my face?”, which touches topics of insecurities, social anxiety and having thoughts you’re not supposed to say out loud. 

Ivy and her band painted youthful and optimistic soundscapes that paired with her introspective and mature lyrics to create an interesting portrait of Gen Z’s perspective of reaching adulthood. Ivy sings “Today I don't wanna go there // Too much to carry on my shoulder” in her song “lug”, tackling the struggles of having baggage to carry and not wanting to unpack it despite it being self inflicted. In “4 Foot 2”, Ivy sings about wishing to protect her younger self from the realities of life and adulthood. Ivy then expertly transitioned into her take on Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten”, which was a hit with the crowd.

The 45 minute set closed with the viral sensation “we’re all eating each other”. The crowd sang along with the addictingly catchy chorus, which has morbidly beautiful lyrics over a catchy and upbeat guitar melody. “But we're all gonna die // Decompose into daffodils and dandelions // The bees will use our flowers for whatever they like // Make the honey that our grandkids will put inside their morning tea”. This song was the pinnacle of the set as the crowd danced with joy like there was no tomorrow. The only thing the crowd was longing for was more.

Ivy stayed near the merch booth afterwards, talking to and taking photos with fans. Her appreciation for her fanbase was made apparent with how engaging and gracious she was with her followers. Some fans even handmade gifts for the young artist, demonstrating just how passionate they are for her and her music. With this level of engagement, it is no surprise that Ivy has been able to fill rooms on her first tour. 

Juliet Ivy’s US tour continues through May 12th, and her next single “is it my face?” is out on May 15th. 2024 could prove to be a massive breakout year for her, so make your way to one of her sets if you have the chance; you won’t regret it!

Photos and Review by Kyle Hotchkiss

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