Despite all the people who are open about having stage fright, I still don’t think the majority of people understand how hard it is to let loose on stage. For Presley Faulkner, Skylar Love, and Daire, it just looks so natural. Presley Faulkner, photo by Alannah Lavoie, courtesy of the Hit Parader I was immediately greeted by Presley Faulkner’s belting upon entering Nashville’s Hit Parader venue on Monday night. She layered a black lace tank and a purple corset. Her platinum b

At eighteen years old, Daire will be headlining the Hit Parader, a Nashville venue tied to the influential Hit Parader rock/metal magazine most active in the latter half of the 20th century. “We’re bringing butterflies to the mosh pit,” Daire states. Wearing a black AC/DC T-shirt with the neck cut out as we hop on a video call, Daire is edgy but relaxed. I note this because few things fascinate me more, artistically, than contradictions. Daire has the fairy image, but special

Michael Fitzpatrick of Fitz and the Tantrums - photo by Louise Geri In a nutshell, Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums are your high school English teacher and music teacher, respectively. You know, the ones who are best friends and bring the room to life whenever they enter the other’s classroom. I went into the Fitz & the Tantrums concert at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA expecting a majority teenage crowd decked out in edgy punk

Em Beihold, photo by Kirk Stauffer for Back Beat Seattle Em Beihold, a pop singer who has built an image surrounding mental health since her 2022 hit “Numb Little Bug”, headlined Neumos for her Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter Tour on Wednesday. Decked out in flower crowns and dresses, fans filled the venue with positive energy. Neumos was the most packed I’ve ever seen. Janani K. Jha, Beihold’s self-proclaimed biggest fan, was the opener. She took the stage smiling alongside h

The energy at the Exit/In was magical as the crowd filed in on March 29 for Sisters in Song, a concert presented by River & Row Management. As the pre-show playlist cycled through songs by Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Brandi Carlile, and other artists in the Americana realm, attendees got progressively more excited. Eloise Rixey performing, photo by Maggie Oradat. Eloise Rixey was the first artist onstage, joined by cellist Ethan Hill and special guest Jael Woolfolk on keyboar