Last night, singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith brought her The Art of Being a Mess Tour in support of her newest album to Prague’s SaSaZu club for an emotional and unforgettable performance. She was joined by Henry Moodie and Conor Burns.
Conor Burns took the stage first, immediately engaging the crowd with his eclectic dance moves and expressive vocal style. He and his bandmates certainly brought the energy, interacting with the crowd easily even from across the barricade. He spent the time between his set and the next taking photos with fans and handing out stickers.
Henry Moodie was up next, taking the stage with his sole band member supporting him on keyboard and guitar. He wore a shirt saying “Mood Swings” to plug his debut album of the same name, set to be released on October 24. He captivated the audience from the moment he stepped onstage, but “right person, wrong time” was a standout during his set.
His flawless vocals floated through the room during each song, and fans laughed along with him when he explained the meaning behind the song “drunk text.” Closing out his set on an upbeat note, he had the entire crowd dancing as he played “pick up the phone.”
By now, the crowd was warmed up for the main event of the night: Lauren Spencer Smith’s performance. She sauntered onto the stage wearing a black outfit and a red fuzzy hat, opening with the upbeat and fiery “IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL).” The fans were immediately dancing and singing along as she commanded the stage, all smiles for her audience.
The first three songs saw her interact not only with the crowd but also with most of her set props, which deserve to be mentioned on their own for the sheer amount of creativity that went into them. The stage included a platform as well as a bus stop with a pay phone, on which she frequently answered “calls” in order to introduce the next songs. Signs saying “No Stopping, Emotional Arrival Zone” and “LSS Express” were set to the side of the stage, adding to the ambiance.
She teased the crowd with the intro of “WORSE” before answering a call on the phone and launching into “bridesmaid” instead. “What a beautiful day” and “Flowers” were highlights of the middle of the setlist.
Then, she got another call on the pay phone seemingly from her younger self before she sat down and started to sing “small,” a track about body positivity. It was an emotional moment (the first of many of the show), as she saw the fans in the front beginning to cry and she started to cry herself. Even so, she sang through the tears, giving the performance an extra layer of vulnerability and emotional depth.
She then expressed to the audience that making the setlist the way she did was a bad idea. “It’s a bunch of sad songs in a row,” she complained with a laugh, further sharing that she always cries singing them and so the audience has to sing the songs for her. This rang true as she sang “looking up” next — we don’t think there was a dry eye in the house, including ours.
After another track, she introduced what she called her favorite portion of the show: the wheel of feels! A large spinning wheel was brought out, and she pulled two young girls from the crowd up onto the stage for this interactive piece. She spoke to the girls about their dreams for the future, finding out that they wanted to move to America when they’re older, which was met with laughter from the audience and humorous skepticism from Lauren herself. After finding out that one of the girls wants 8 cats, 8 dogs, and a turtle when she grows up, she asked them to spin the wheel together, and the color it landed on would determine the next song. Based on the result, she launched into a cover of “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson after the girls left the stage.
Much to the fans’ pleasure, she then performed an unreleased song before displaying her showstopping vocals even further with “Pray” and “WORSE,” for real this time. When she took the stage for her encore, the red hat had vanished and she seemed a little more playful, if that was even possible. A fan from the front row handed her a Czech flag as she sang her hit songs “Fingers Crossed” and “Sticks & Stones” before exiting the stage for the final time.
Lauren Spencer Smith’s show was filled to the brim with powerful moments — emotion, vulnerability, and love filled her voice and the room with every song. Her enthusiasm and energy as she reacted to fans in the crowd was palpable, leaving us feeling like we weren’t just watching a singer perform on stage. Instead, we were watching an incredibly personable and talented young woman bare her soul and have a genuine dialogue with her audience. She connected with the crowd in a way that’s so rare, especially for a star on her level, and the amount of effort put into both the setlist and the stage design really supported this connection.
We highly recommend catching one of her upcoming tour dates. Not only is her vocal talent absolutely insane to hear live, but the atmosphere she creates at her shows is unmatched. She’ll continue The Art of Being a Mess Tour throughout Europe and the UK through mid-October before heading to Australia and New Zealand in November. Tickets to the rest of her EU/UK tour dates are available here.
Remaining EU/UK tour dates:
9/22 – Munich, Germany – Tonhalle
9/23 – Zurich, Switzerland – X-Tra
9/25 – Oberhausen, Germany – Turbinenhalle 1
9/26 – Paris, France – Bataclan
9/29 – Dublin, Ireland – National Stadium
10/2 – London, United Kingdom – Eventim Apollo
10/5 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – O2 Academy
10/8 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Victoria Warehouse
10/9 – Leeds, United Kingdom – O2 Academy
10/10 – Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom – O2 City Hall
10/12 – Birmingham, United Kingdom – O2 Academy
10/13 – Bristol, United Kingdom – Beacon
Follow Conor Burns: Instagram // TikTok // Website // Spotify
Follow Henry Moodie: Instagram // Spotify // X // TikTok
Follow Lauren Spencer Smith: Facebook // Instagram // X // YouTube // Website
