Secondhand Setlists

To rule School Night, all you need are your drummer, two backup dancers, and a chic biker outfit.

Always short and sweet, Bardot School Nights let fans glimpse a brief, intimate performance from all sorts of musicians. In the past few years, I’ve seen Dawn Richard, Rina Sawayama, Dua Lipa, and KT Tunstall all perform thrilling sets for small but passionate crowds.

Gia Woods made for a prime performer at such a space; her rising potential and personal lyrics (for example, her debut single “Only a Girl” also served as her coming out moment) only heightened people’s excitement to see her. Flanked by her dancers, Woods pounded through her classics like “Only…” alongside new cuts such as “Feel It” and “New Girlfriend”. For her performance of her and Matoma’s “Heart Won’t Forget”, she busted out an acoustic guitar, colored a sleek black that matched her leather get-up.

Following Woods came Ariana and the Rose, whose look reminded me a bit of Liza Minelli (which is a compliment). While I enjoy her recorded music, I found her own performance to be a little underwhelming, though that likely stems from the fact that her mic is simply too soft. If they turned it up a bit, I think her music would have resonated a bit more.

Looking at her setlist, Ariana boasted plenty of proper tunes: “True Love”, “You Were Never My Boyfriend”, and the “Walking on Sunshine”-sampling “Night Owl”. Because of this, it became even more disappointing that the night ended on a blip instead of a bang. Ariana definitely has the songs in order, but the performance side may need a little practice.