When Nessa Barrett first announced her Young Forever tour in December of 2022, I was surprised yet excited to see that she was playing the intimate Bluebird Theater on her Denver stop. With a capacity of only 550, the venue is a staple in Denver’s local music scene and has hosted some pretty large acts over the years, notably Billie Eilish in 2018, twenty one pilots for their takeover tour in 2021 and countless others. With Nessa Barrett quickly blowing up, The Bluebird seemed like an interesting, albeit small choice for the artist’s debut Denver performance.
Then, the show quickly got upgraded to the much larger Ogden Theatre. The upgrade to Mission Ballroom followed soon after, and if you weren’t already paying attention to this young rising artist, then maybe a massive jump from a 550 capacity venue with a capacity range of 2,200 to 3,950 should be your sign to give her a listen.
Although Nessa Barrett’s debut headlining show in Denver wasn’t at a jam-packed, sold-out crowd at the Ogden or Bluebird, the classy Mission Ballroom was a perfect fit for the show. Fans quickly crammed as close as possible to the stage on the large floor in hopes of getting the perfect spot, and those who got there early weren’t disappointed. Opening the show was another young artist, Isabel LaRosa, who wowed the crowd with her emotional, sultry vocals, perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Nessa Barrett’s set was everything fans had hoped for and then some. With a simplistic stage production, all eyes were on Nessa as she stepped out onto the stage to the first notes of “madhouse”. The front row was packed with fans, all hoping to hand an offering – including roses, light-up cowboy hats, plushies and even some intricately wrapped gifts – to the singer. Each time she crouched at the edge of the stage to serenade her fans, she was met with excited screams and her own lyrics sung passionately back at her. The excitement was palpable, both from the crowd, and Nessa on stage, who continuously praised her fans, even expressing that, while they tell her that her music saved their lives, they saved hers as well.
The night wasn’t without a few hiccups, one in particular causing the show to stop just as she launched into “tired of california” in order for security to help a fan in the crowd, but Nessa Barrett even handled the unplanned with ease. Fan favorites like “god’s favorite” and “die first” were met with just as much excitement as her unreleased track, “american jesus”. By the the time the night came to an end, it was safe to say that fans were already anxious for her return, and if her first headlining show in Denver is any indicator, it’s safe to say that her next tour will be bigger and better than ever.
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