Carly Rae Jepson w/ Empress Of• October 14, 2022• The Union
Reviewed and Photographed by Tomo Crestani
The Union Event Center hosted Carly Rae Jepsen on The So Nice Tour. With support from Empress Of, Carly brought a lot of energy to Salt Lake City. Although not a super crowded show, there were still many avid fans who were clearly enjoying their time there that night. Carly’s fanbase seems to be heavily populated with members of the LGBTQ+ community. There were a large number of people there from this community. Although this may have not been the most popular concert at this venue, it was still a good time for those in attendance.
The Union was maybe a little bit of a large venue for Carly. The staff and security were way more relaxed and chill than normal, given that there wasn’t a large crowd to deal with. The parking was also much more available. I do enjoy having a more stress-free concert experience, but I still think she could have played at a smaller venue in the area. That being said, it did not take away from the experience for her fans. They still enjoyed the show the same.
I always appreciate how kind the security is at The Union. They always make sure everyone is comfortable and happy. One thing that The Union does that I have not seen at other venues is making sure people have places to sit if you are not currently in the crowd. I love this option, as it can be a necessity for some people. They have tons of chairs lining the walls on the main floor and couches on against the wall on the top decks. I appreciate the effort they put in to make sure you are accommodated.
Empress Of
First on stage was Empress Of. She brought an immediate energy to the room from the very first song. She danced much more than other artists I have seen live. Empress Of was very passionate throughout her entire performance. Her music was perfect for a live show. Although I could tell she wasn’t singing in some of the tracks, she made up for it with her dancing and energy during those songs. Her DJ was very seamless in the way she was transitioning from song to song. I was impressed with the lighting and planning from Empress Of. I also appreciated the emotion she was able to bring to each song, even when they were more relaxed songs. She definitely showed her vocal range when it was needed.
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen was next on stage, and her entrance did not disappoint. She had her band come onto the stage one by one with the lights flashing to the music. Once her whole band was on stage, she walked up from behind and made her grand entrance. Her silhouette stood in front of a red screen as she posed. She began singing to the music as she walked to the front of the stage.
My favorite part of the whole show came right at the chorus of the first song. Right as the chorus started, two confetti cannons filled the venue with red confetti. It was a really cool spectacle as the confetti flew through the air. She sang with a huge smile as the crowd went crazy. I noticed the confetti stayed in the air for quite a while. This made the performance so much better. The environment that it created was really amazing.
The general public knows Jepson for her smash hit, “Call Me Maybe”. But her true fans know Carly has a full catalog of pop songs that they know and love. In fact, “Call Me Maybe” was the ninth song on the setlist. She still had more than half the concert left when she performed it. Of course the crowd loved hearing it, but the energy did not die down following that song. She played quite a bit off of her album Emotion and introduced a lot of songs from her latest release, The Loneliest Time.
The night ended with “Cut to the Feeling”. It was a fun way to end the night. Fans were singing along and clapping along with the beat. There were really good vibes in the room.
Overall, I would recommend giving Carly Rae Jepsen a listen. Empress Of is also a good listen if you haven’t heard of her. The Union did a great job at hosting this show, and continues to make itself one of the best venues to visit in the Salt Lake area. Carly Rae Jepsen and Empress Of continue their tour through this November. If you find yourself in an area where Carly is playing a live show, I would encourage you to give her a try.