Soft & Vibrant, Arlo Parks Kicks Off First Night of Tour In San Diego
Written by Eli Nava
Photo by Tallulah Totten
Kicking off the night at San Diego’s Observatory North Park, Chloe George takes the stage with passion and a bright, infectious attitude. She and the crowd are all smiles as she performs songs off Penny and her latest release, A Cheetah Hunting In Slow Motion. With a setlist varying from more upbeat, danceable tracks, she also switches up the tempo while performing “Somebody Else,” a gut-punch and a testament to her range in captivating a crowd at different levels. She expresses her gratitude and disbelief of being on tour, and leaves the audience simmering, anticipation boiling-over for the night to continue.
Before Arlo Parks appears, the stage is soft, pulsing, and dim right before it lights up in warm blue light—the London (now based in Los Angeles) singer-songwriter appears and the audience is immediately entranced as she begins singing “Weightless” to kick off the electric night. Wearing a bright blue Portishead shirt, Arlo Parks takes control of the stage and glides around it, interacting with the crowd and feeding off the energy in the room.
Released in December of last year, the singer debuts the album and tour of the same name My Soft Machine with a vibrancy that everyone in the crowd will be sure to hold close to their hearts. She keeps the energy up as she dives into her song “Blades,” to which the crowd ebbs and flows alongside her singing, “Hope you know that I / I just don’t know what to do / ‘Cause I only wanna be with you'' on repeat. The third song of the night, “Caroline,” amps up the energy as she walks down to the middle of the crowd and sings with them, creating a moment for everyone to sing with her. Clutching her microphone, she gets the crowd to wave with her, smiling ear to ear at the reciprocity of love being demonstrated.
Photo by Tallulah Totten
Utilizing the expanse of Observatory North Park’s wide stage, Park’s stage presence demands your attention and care as her vibrance matches the ambient glow of the stage lighting. However, Park’s ability to step back and poetically narrate each of her songs is perhaps what makes her live performance even more intimate. She tells the audience about her struggles with isolation and loneliness before “I’m Sorry,” stating that the song is about unpeeling yourself from being overly guarded and coming out from those walls. Her vulnerability and attention to her craft is ever-present, and the crowd responds with their support as the lyric “I’m sorry it’s just hard to trust anyone” echoes throughout the venue.
These poetic introductions, combined with the energy from her band, and the audience’s involvement with the emotional resonance remained for the remainder of the night, with songs like “Black Dog,” Park’s favorite from Collapsed In Sunbeams adding to the intimacy in the room. The performance crescendos during “Purple Phase,” when the singer joins her band with a guitar in her hand, strumming furiously, and creating a cathartic moment where the music and energy was completely fulfilling. Leaving the stage after “Devotion,” the audience cheers for an encore and she comes back to the end the night with “Softly,” easing everyone down and leaving them with full, ache-y hearts. Overall, Arlo Parks debuts her tour with a poetic and sonic dive into the soul, demonstrating her capability to draw in an audience and leaving them with a soft place to land.
Be sure to check out Arlo’s new album My Soft Machine