review and all photos by Alexandra Healey
For a Wednesday night, I wasn’t expecting the show at World Cafe Live in West Philly to be as crowded as it was. I had listened to a few songs from French native Christine and the Queens, but I didn’t realize how popular she was in Philadelphia or how many French people lived in the city.
Trying to find a good spot in the crowd, I waited alongside strangers who looked like they were still in college, but there were also young families scattered throughout the crowd. Finally the lights dimmed and the cheering began. Through the dark, several bodies moved across the stage. which confused me until the lights went back on revealing dancers on either side of Christine. She opened with her song “Night 52”, showing of her artistic style as a singer and dancer.
She had this presence about her that made you not want to take your eyes off of her. She was warm and humble in between her songs, especially before singing her song “iT” when she told the room that it was free space. A place where anyone could be whatever they wanted to be, and for the song she was about to perform, she wanted the crowd to see her as an older male rock star.
Christine then slowed it down to sing “Paradis Perdus”, a song that incorporates the chorus from Kanye West’s “Heartless”. She then followed that with a very intimate performance of “Here” with the only light on her face. The crowd swayed along with the music, before the dance party started again when her dancers returned on stage for “No Harm Done” and one of her most popular songs, “Tilted”. After mentioning it was her birthday and coming back on stage for her encore, the crowd responded by giving her bouquets of flowers, as well as a cupcake with a lit-candle in it that floated onto stage and surprised her. She excitedly rolled on the floor to blow it out before getting back and performing her “final” song of the evening “Saint Claude”.
After exiting the stage, the fans began to cheer her name to call her back onto the stage for an encore, which she then did. She talked with the crowd some more, telling them her worst fear is planning an encore, but not being invited back for it. This had the crowd yell things to her in French, which I assumed were compliments because she would smile largely and thank them in French (which is the only thing I understood). After talking with the crowd a little longer, she invited everyone to dance some more as she sung “The Loving Cup”.
When the song was finished, the crowd roared in cheer while Christine thanked her crew and the fans. Before leaving she was once again surprised by her crew with a large birthday cake as ‘Happy Birthday’ played over the speakers. The love from the stage emanated off to the rest of the room and it felt as if we were all family.
I’ve always based my favorite shows I’ve been to on how the crowd is during it. That being said, because everyone at this show was happy, and kind, and so interactive with Christine and the Queens, it is now one of my top three favorite shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending.
