The Midwest Princess Comes to Nashville

Photo Courtesy of Ria Skyer

After months of anticipation, Chappell Roan played her biggest show in Tennessee at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin to accompany “The Midwest Princess Tour.” 

This performance comes after closing a touring leg in Europe and the cancellation of Roan’s scheduled appearance at All Things Go Music Festival. 

Roan has had a meteoric rise to fame in the last year following the release of her debut album in September 2023, “The Rise and Fall Of a Midwest Princess.”  

The album gained its success gradually through viral sound bites and performances and now sits at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.  

Nashville Drag Queens Coqueta, Aquamarine and Miss Alexa Noelle opened Roan’s Franklin show.  

Hosting local drag queens is a tradition Roan developed when she started headlining shows, encouraging her fans to attend local shows the queens perform in and send tips for their opening performance.  

“Tip them. I know times are tough right now, but that is how you support your local queer community,” said Roan during the show. “If you see them, give them a dollar. Give them a $20!” 

The show began with an explosive electric guitar solo and vibrant pink and green lights to accompany the show’s opening song “Femininomenon.” 

Roan and her band dressed in forms of camouflage and olive greens to support the Midwest Princess dress theme which the audience also reflected. 

From that moment on, Roan captivated the crowd with her larger-than-life stage presence and power-packed vocals.  

Her audience was especially active during the spoken word climaxes of “Naked In Manhattan” and the cheerleader letter dance and chant that embodies the hook of “HOT TO GO!” 

While performing “Picture You,” Roan snuck in an easter egg by waving the wig she wore as the Statue of Liberty during her Governors Ball Music festival on her microphone stand. 

Even without the full band, Roan knows how to carry an audience with just her voice. The acoustic guitar rendition she performed of “Coffee” displayed a more intimate environment for its vulnerable lyrics. She additionally performed “Kaleidoscope” alone on the piano. 

Despite threatening to remove the song from the setlist as she typically does, Roan showed off her soft falsetto in a powerful tone where she almost sounded like she was crying.  

The amphitheater gained more momentum as the band came back for the fan-favorite track “Casual,” the chart-topping single “Good Luck, Babe!” and an unreleased track known as “The Subway.” 

The song joined the setlist in June debuting at Governors Ball but has no plans of releasing it physically or on streaming. 

No song was more appropriate to close the show than “Pink Pony Club.” There is nothing more ironic than 7,500 people singing “I’m having wicked dreams of leaving Tennessee” when performing in the state.  

As much as Roan treats her shows as her working hours, she is keenly aware of the audience she serves and the impact of creating uniquely queer experiences as a queer artist. She took a minute to thank the queens and her fans in the middle of the show. 

“I know how hard it is to be queer in the Midwest and South. I’m very grateful that I can be here and show up and clock into my job in this outfit. I have to remind myself that this is why I do it. I can see you and feel you,” Roan said.  

“I needed this so bad when I was 15,” Roan said. “I felt so completely misunderstood and very alone, and I really needed a place where people weren’t going to make fun of me for how I dressed or who I liked. I hope you know that you are wanted here and you’re welcome here however you are. You are loved and cherished.” 

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This story was written by Ria Skyer.