Nessa Barrett made her St. Louis debut on November 1, 2023 at The Pageant during her Church Club For The Lonely tour. As the show was half sold-out, the crowd's energy and hymns throughout the night made it feel like it was a sold-out show. As Nessa traveled through her 24 track setlist ranging from hits such as "tired of california" to "dying on the inside", the 21 year old sultry artist made it an eclectic night to remember.
Kicking off Nessa's set was "scare myself" followed by 2023 hit-single "amercian jesus" and traveled swimmingly into "tired of california" - where fans singing voices elevated to sing the bridge - "Can I be young forever? Wanna have fun forever". As the setlist climbed to "madhouse", energy levels ascended and Nessa's vocals provided soft, yet powerful melodies.
But what was the most vulnerable song performed in the night (and possibly the singer's most vulnerable track to date) was "club heaven" - Nessa's latest release that's currently sitting at over 6 million views on Spotify alone. The song was written about Nessa's best friend and fellow Tik Tok star Cooper Norgeia who passed in 2022 and struggled with somewhat similar mental issues as Nessa. As lyrics were shouted and tears were flowing throughout the venue, we all felt Cooper's presence as he was watching all of us embrace the artist as she performed a heartfelt track.
Nessa also performed honorable mentions like "lie", "lovebomb", her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy", "fuckmarykill", "plane to paris" and "gaslight." As Nessa danced around in a little pink dress she thrifted from a shop down the street, another vulnerable track was performed - "die first." Through soft acoustics, calming melodies and powerhouse vocals, the artist's light shined so bright. Moving into "sick of myself", Nessa uplifted the crowd with motivational beats and a memorable chorus.
Since Nessa's 2023 fall tour began in September, her 2022 hit "dying on the inside" from debut album young forever has been receiving more attention on Tik Tok recently and organically growing new Nessa fans. When the track was performed live, the crowd roared with relatable lyrics such as "Did you change your hair, did you lose a little weight? You should keep it up 'cause it really looks great/I hate that I always look my best/When I'm dying on the inside". Unreleased song "Girl In New York" encapsulates the emotionally raw lyrics of Nessa Barrett's mind and soul and presents a feeling that's engaging with her audience.
One of Nessa's first songs to be released "i hope ur miserable until ur dead" from her 2021 debut EP pretty poison features heavy guitars, upbeat tempos and empathetic lyrics such as - "one day it'll come around, but fuck you for now." As one would call this a "girl anthem", this song being performed live warmed hearts as people all over the venue were singing along and dancing to release some negative feelings.
Closing out her eclectic set was Nessa's first single of 2023 - "BANG BANG!" featuring heavy drums, funky beats and ethereal vocals. When Nessa sings "I've got intrusive thoughts", the crowd goes wild and gets energetic. As Nessa gave every last bit of energy she said (while she was sick for most of the tour), fans were left feeling content as the magical night came to a close.
