Reneé Rapp Recap: “Bite Me Tour” at TD Garden

Amy Lee

Staff Writer

If Reneé Rapp was truthful in her song, “I Hate Boston”, then why is she still here to perform? Despite her alleged disdain for the city due to a failed relationship, Rapp has enough love for her fans to put on a spectacular show.

Rapp’s “Bite Me Tour” has been off to a successful start since presale began in June. On Sept. 29, Rapp even performed a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, reflecting the upward trajectory of her music career over the past year. During her previous tour, titled “Snow Hard Feelings”, she struggled to sell out venues with a few thousand seats available. In contrast, Madison Square Garden holds over 19,000 people.

TD Garden was packed with excited and screaming fans, and Rapp put on a refreshingly intimate show for her audience on Oct. 2. She prefaced many ballads with the stories and emotions that brought her music to life, and claimed she was “going back to her roots” by sitting on the piano and “wailing” with the audience. During one song, “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore,” Rapp sang directly to a crying audience member, calling her beautiful and telling her not to be sad during the instrumentals. In her rendition of “Swim,” Rapp even walked through the audience, which many performers have stopped doing as a result of safety concerns. Her performance strayed from the rising popularity of multiple costume changes, backup dancers, and intense choreography that can often disconnect artists from their fans.

Another difference from the typical concert experience was Rapp’s charitable efforts. Before the show began, a video message from Rapp played for the audience, asking for donations to the tour’s partner, the Save the Children foundation. Rapp explained how proceeds from her tour’s  merchandise and contributions from audience members to the Save the Children website will go toward providing food, water, healthcare, and education to children in need. Using her fame for good, Rapp is giving back to communities around the world.

The rising cost of concert ticket prices has led to die-hard fans being unable to see their favorite artists live. Recently, Ariana Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine Tour” sparked controversy as her high demand presale ended and fans were left with the choice of paying $400 for nosebleeds, $2,000 for floor seats, or sacrificing their chance to see Grande live at all. In contrast, not only was the experience of purchasing Renee Rapp tickets more affordable than most artists, but her intimate and fan-focused performance style gives her audience more bang-for-their-buck, which is a rarity in the current concert ticket economy. While Rapp’s performance left fans wondering how she did not sell out TD Garden, her shows are definitely the only time thousands of Massachusetts residents will scream “I Hate Boston” at the top of their lungs.