Blondshell, the indie-rock project of singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum, delivered a spellbinding performance at a packed Royale in Boston, proving once again why she’s one of indie rock’s most compelling new voices. Blondshell turned a sold-out room into a collective therapy session—equal parts cathartic and electric.
Fresh off the release of her highly acclaimed sophomore album, ‘If You Asked for a Picture, she took North America by storm on her “If You Asked for a Tour”. She took to the stage with confidence, and opened with “23’s a Baby,” setting the tone for the ngith right off the bat. Hard to believe this was her first headline show in Boston. Fans were in for a treat that night as the setlist was perfectly curated. She balanced intensity with vulnerability, shifting effortlessly between moments of explosive sound and hushed intimacy.
The setlist leaned heavily on her acclaimed 2023 self-titled debut, with highlights including “Olympus” and “Salad,” as well as songs from the new album including “Toy”, and “Arms” to name a few. She even threw in her popular cover of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” to the crowds delight. Her voice, honeyed and husky, was in fine form, anchoring each track with a lived-in authenticity.
This show fell on the federal holiday Juneteenth, to which Sabrina took a moment out of the show to recognize the special day and take a moment to reflect on what it really means. “I feel indebted to black artists who have shaped culture both with and without credit for hundreds of years,” she began. “There would be absolutely no pop music and certainly no rock and roll without generations and generations of art made by black musicians in America. If you’re a white person fighting for change, I hope your resistance includes looking into predominantly white spaces that you are a part of: spaces such as the genre of indie rock.” It was such a nice touch and it was met to deafening approval cheers from the crowd.
Blondshell isn’t just revisiting the sounds of alt-rock’s golden age, she’s reshaping them with fearless honesty and a modern edge. On stage, she’s not just a performer, she’s a voice for a lot of people and isn’t afraid to break boundaries in her music. She’s an authentic star and there’s no doubt she’ll be back in Boston again at an even bigger venue next time around. Be sure to catch her on tour!
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Photos by Erin Crowley
