.png)
On October 24, pop-rock artist Taylor Acorn released her newest album Poster Child via Fearless Records. After years of being independent, this marks her first album release under a record label. To celebrate the new release, Taylor hit the road last week to begin her extensive North American tour, which will run until December. On November 6, the second date of the tour, she stopped at New York City’s historic Gramercy Theater. With an 18-song setlist that spanned across the newer tracks and older hits, Taylor gave a phenomenal performance that the NYC fans will always remember.
Opening for Taylor Acorn was LA-based alternative rock band wilt. Having only released a few singles and EPs so far, including their latest singles “bad seed” and “without you”, wilt seems to already have a dedicated fanbase. As soon as they walked on stage, people were cheering “We love wilt!”, so the band was not unfamiliar to many people in the room. With a style that combines 90s alt-rock elements with modern twists, wilt captivated the entire audience immediately. Frontwoman Chelsea Rifkin’s dynamic vocals were mesmerizing, effortlessly switching from powerful belts and intense screams. Her passion for performing was also palpable as she jumped and danced across the stage, inspiring the audience to become further engaged in the show. The band also utilized a lot of crowd interaction throughout the set, such as getting the fans to get down low and jump for one song, and Chelsea moving up to the barricade for another. By the end of the set, the entire crowd was singing along; even for fans that just heard of wilt for the first time that night, the band left a lasting impression on them.
WILT: Website | Instagram | YouTube
At around 9pm, the lights dimmed for the final time that night as Taylor’s band walked onto the stage. After performing an instrumental intro, Taylor Acorn hit the stage as the room filled with cheers. Taylor opened with the title track of her new album, “Poster Child”, and right from the start, the volume of the crowd’s voices nearly rivaled Taylor’s as they sang along. Taylor Acorn once again proved that she is a natural performer, bursting with energy nonstop as she jumped across the stage and delivered powerful vocals. The fans’ energy never dwindled either, as they continued singing at the top of their lungs for the subsequent two songs, the new track “People Pleaser” and the 2023 fan-favorite “I Think I’m in Love”.
After the first few songs, Taylor gave a shoutout to her drummer Connor, mentioning that he recently got back from a trip to Japan and was still jet lagged. Connor certainly did not let the jet lag affect him, given that he performed a thunderous drum solo after the track “Cheap Dopamine”. Taylor then performed one of the lead singles for Poster Child, “Goodbye, Good Riddance”, an energetic anthem about cutting off toxic people. Throughout the set, it was clear how much the fans were invested in the performance, constantly singing and dancing along. Some fans even brought signs to hold up between songs, which Taylor noticed and mentioned she loved the signs; one said “‘I Think I’m in Love’ with Taylor Acorn”, a reference to the song with the same title. As the set continued, Taylor played several newer songs, such as “Vertigo” and “Sucker Punch”. Then, she brought out an acoustic guitar and slowed things down a bit with “Home Videos”, a track dedicated to her late father.
Taylor closed the main set with the 2024 track “Birds Still Sing”, a song dedicated to mental health awareness. Before she started the song, she told the crowd that everyone is going through something, so it’s important to be kind to everyone, and no matter how alone they may feel, someone will always be there to support them. The venue lit up with waving phone flashlights as Taylor sang the emotional track. After the song, Taylor and her band briefly left the stage as the crowd chanted for an encore. Soon enough, they returned to the stage as the fans cheered, then went into the 2022 fan-favorite “Shapeshifting”. Despite it being the end of the set, the crowd’s energy was just as prevalent as it was at the start, with everyone’s voices filling the room as they jumped and danced. For the final track of the night, Taylor closed with her 2023 hit “Psycho”, a classic fiery pop-rock song, and even briefly went up to the barricade to sing along with the crowd. NYC fans made sure to give it their all until the very end, creating a memory that will certainly continue to resonate with them.
