On March 21st, Benee brought her 2026 North American tour "Ur An Angel I'm Just Particles" to Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. This tour is to support Benee's sophomore album, which was released on November 7th of last year. Opening for Benee was Bayli, based out of Brooklyn, New York.
This is the first time I have been able to cover a pop show, and I couldn't have been more excited for it to be for Benee. I have been a fan of her since 2019, and never imagined I would be able to see her live, especially at a venue like Cat's Cradle! I knew I was going to love this show no matter what, so to keep my review from being too biased, I asked my friend, JJ, and two people from the crowd to give me their thoughts and ratings of each set throughout the night. Before the show began, I asked each person what they were excited to see for this show.
JJ: "I am hoping Benee will play the song you showed me last week, "Kool." I am also excited to see how good this bassist is because the bass goes hard on her tracks."
Garrett: "I have been a fan since 2019, and I found Benee with her song "Find An Island." It was history after that. I hope that she plays "Same Effect""
Hannah: "I hope that she plays either "Cinnamon" or "Animal!""
BAYLI
Bayli kicked off the night right on time. I wasn't sure what to expect from her set, as I am not familiar with her music but she was a whole vibe! She commanded the stage on her own, though I know it's somewhat common for this genre of music. I am not used to seeing a performance with only one person on stage. However, I was impressed that she kept up the energy throughout the entire set. The music was very fun!
Bayli's set was concise, running at about 25 minutes long. The set consisted of songs such as "SUGARCOAT," "Fem-onomics," a cover of Frank Ocean's "Super Rich Kids," and "Sushi For Breakfast." Her performance was so interesting that I was shocked when it was over. I was expecting her to perform a little longer, as the show was just her and Benee, but I really can't complain at all. I think that she had a fun vibe and energy. Overall, I believe she was a great opening act for this show!
My rating of this set: 3.5 pieces of sushi for breakfast out of 5.
Now let's hear what JJ, Garrett, and Hannah have to say on this performance from Bayli...
JJ: "The stage set itself for Bayli was not that dynamic because there were no backup dancers, or band. It was just her singing. But the vocals and backtrack overall were pretty good. I'd give this set a solid 3."
Garrett: "I really enjoyed the set! I just think her vocals could have been louder. I would have preferred some live instrumental but, you know, it's an opener so I cut some slack. But her stage presence was great! I would give this set a 4 out of 5."
Hannah: "I just really loved her music. It was really great! It did a great job of hyping everybody up, I think. She was a good opener, it got everybody in the mood to get moving and stuff. I think this would be a 5 out of 5!"
Average set rating for Bayli: 3.86 pieces of sushi for breakfast out of 5!
BENEE
Benee hopped on stage at 9p.m. She started off her set with one of my personal favorite songs, "Sad Boiii". I automatically knew this was going to be a banger of a set! Performing with her on stage was guitarist, Michael, and drummer, Felix. I was honestly shocked that she wasn't touring with a bassist this time around, but the tracks still sounded full and were not lacking at all. She had an incredible amount of energy for the whole set. She bounced around, danced, and even had some funny banter in between songs throughout the performance. I admire her attempts at a southern accent, even if her New Zealand accent underneath made it sound more like an Australian accent than an American southern accent.
I thought that the variety of song choices in the set were really good. There was a good mixture of songs off of her first album and her sophomore album. I enjoyed hearing the older songs that made me a fan of her's; "Soaked" and "Glitter" mixed in with her newer songs like, "Animal", "Cinnamon", and "Princess". I also enjoyed hearing the softer acoustic song, "Doesn't Matter", which is another favorite of mine. I was not expecting to hear it at this show! Benee ended her set with her hit, "Supalonely", followed by "Off the Rails" and the high energy, "Green Honda". This was a nearly perfect set, in my opinion. It showcased the variety of how her music sounds and her abilities well.
My rating of this set: 4.5 supalonely bitches out of 5.
JJ, Garrett, and Hannah share their thoughts on Benee...
JJ: "Benee is a solid... 4.5 out of 5 because she didn't play "Kool". It would have been a 5 if she played "Kool". I like that song a lot, but I think "Green Honda" just moved into first place because now that I've seen it live, it's a very good song. The lack of a bassist was a problem for me. But that's a... I have bias there. I enjoyed myself very much though, this was fun."
Garrett: "I loved it. It was so good. She didn't play "Same effect" but there was enough old stuff that I can be happy. Her stage presence was so good. I felt like she was as hyped as the audience was. I felt like there was really good engagement from both sides. You could tell she was really into everything going on and also everybody there, especially because we were near the front, and it was loud and everybody was moving. It was just so fun to see, especially as a long-time listener. It was awesome. It was infectious. I would give this set a 5 out of 5."
Hannah: "I did get my songs. I was very happy about that. I would give it 5. It was a really great show. She did put on a great performance!"
Average set rating for Benee: 4.75 supalonely bitches out of 5
The Particles tour is nearing an end, with only 6 shows remaining. It is clear that this is not a tour to miss! If you're in one of the cities that this tour is hitting in the next few days, you definitely should make it out. If you're not, then make sure to keep your eyes peeled for Benee's next tour and keep yourself entertained with her album, "Ur An Angel I'm Just Particles" on Spotify below!
