The “worst girl in America” made her way through The Van Buren on Monday, September 14, proving to be anything but as she transformed the venue into the Valley’s hottest dance party. Slayyyter’s sold-out “WOR$T GIRL IN THE WORLD” tour celebrates the release of her third album, her first new record in three years and one that has seen major success for the Midwestern pop provocateur. Fans packed the venue early, donning their best Slayyyter-inspired fits. The room was a sea of fur, flannel, custom tees, glitter, short shorts, corsets, rabbit ears, trucker hats, and dollar signs, with more fans dressed the part than not, ready to "DANCE..." the night away. Supporting Slayyyter for the North American leg of the tour is Pearly Drops.
Finnish duo Pearly Drops set the tone early, kicking off the night with a set that felt a bit like a late-night house party in the best kind of way. The lights were low, the vibes were high, and bodies were pressed together as everyone danced without a care to tracks like “Ratgirl,” “Delusional on Sunset Blvd,” and “Kiss Away the Pearly Drops.” The duo’s self-described experimental indie, alternative, pop sound was a perfect fit for Slayyyter’s bill, priming the crowd for the insane energy that was to come.
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The crowd was buzzing and trading compliments on each other’s outfits as they eagerly waited for Slayyyter to take the stage. As the crew was preparing for her arrival, a large black curtain dropped, revealing the stage setup for the evening. At the back of the stage sat the facade of a run-down home, much like the one that appears in her “DANCE…” music video. A large, glittery, wooden cross was affixed to the side of the house, the stage was covered in dry grass, and plastic chairs, along with a cooler marked with a dollar sign, sat in front of the home, surrounded by cattails. An old, tarnished piece of a vehicle sat to the left of the house beneath a streetlight, surrounded by tires and plastic chairs, and served as the platform for Slayyyter’s drummer. A clothing line hung above this setup, with t-shirts spray-painted with dollar signs hung up to dry. A carousel horse sat to the right of the home, which was an interesting touch to an otherwise somewhat dilapidated scene.
A fan along the barricade shouted, “Time to crank it!” and the whole audience reacted, chanting Slayyyter’s name until the lights dimmed and “* PRAYER *” began to play over the speakers. Lights flashed through the windows of the home, and the crowd screamed as Slayyyter emerged from the front door, immediately transporting the audience into her grungey but glamorous world as she kicked off the set with “DANCE…” Fans went absolutely feral from the opening notes and never let up. It was the kind of show where you leave without a voice. The crowd collectively screamed every lyric throughout the night at the top of their lungs, bodies drenched in sweat as they never stopped dancing. It was impossible not to move as she continued with “OLD FLING$” and “OLD TECHNOLOGY.” I’m not much of a dancer, and even I found myself dancing at the back of the room with everyone else.
WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA was the star of the show this evening, with the setlist featuring every track from the album, along with a few unreleased tracks and recent singles that are sonically similar to the record. It has been a long time since I have seen a crowd react to an artist the way that they did on this evening. They showed up dressed the part, and every last person in that room gave 100% of their energy. Just when you thought the energy could not get any higher, Slayyyter hit the crowd with “CRANK” and “crank 2” back to back, and the reaction was wild. She paused the show for a moment during “CRANK” when it appeared there may have been a medical concern, ensuring everyone was safe. When she got the okay that the situation was resolved, she restarted the song, allowing the fans to experience the song the way it was meant to be experienced.
The range of Slayyyter’s vocal talent was on display all night as she moved from a gritty and aggressive rap-like sound to a softer, more traditional pop-like sound. She left the stage for a moment, returning in a new outfit, which she noted later that she had made herself. Slayyyter danced atop the carousel horse as she performed “CANNIBALISM!” before moving into some of the softer tracks from the album. While the songs may have slowed down a bit, the energy from the crowd did not. The energy ramped up further as she moved through “I’M ACTUALLY KINDA FAMOUS” and “$T. LOSER.” Slayyyter’s live band continued to jam as she left the stage, returning in a new outfit before closing out the main set with “WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?” and “BRITTANY MURPHY.” The crowd continued to call her back until she returned for the last two songs of the evening, “brand new chanel$” and “BEAT UP CHANEL$.”
It was an incredible performance from top to bottom. Slayyyter’s last appearance in the Valley was opening for Kesha, and in just over a year, she has moved from opening for artists like Kesha and Charli XCX to headlining her own venues. The nearly 2,000 cap at The Van Buren felt like an intimate performance for Slayyyter, who will no doubt be back headlining much larger spaces in the near future.
The “WOR$T GIRL IN THE WORLD” tour is sold-out, but if you get a chance to go, I would highly recommend taking the opportunity! It’s a show you won’t want to miss out on.
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