One of the most exciting things in music is watching an artist break through at remarkable speed. That was the feeling at Seattle’s The Showbox on Friday, when Slayyyter performed for a packed audience as part of a completely sold-out North American tour. Following the success of her third album, Wor$t Girl in America, and a series of memorable summer festival appearances, this concert may well have been the singer’s last in such a small venue.
The Showbox is located in the heart of Seattle, near Pike Place Market, restaurants, bars and the city’s tourist attractions. With a capacity of about 1,100, the venue creates an especially intimate atmosphere: concertgoers are close to the stage and the performer. Compared with the WAMU Theater in the Seattle Center area, which holds roughly 4,000 people, and the region’s major arenas, which accommodate tens of thousands, The Showbox’s club setting makes for a more immediate and personal concert experience.
Even so, the crowd welcomed Slayyyter with a volume more typical of the WAMU Theater. The singer, whose real name is Catherine Grace Garner, opened the show with “Cannibalism!,” performing part of it while riding a carousel horse. Midway through the 75-minute concert, she acknowledged that her life and career were changing very quickly and thanked the audience for allowing her to experience the moment with them.
Until recently, Slayyyter had remained a promising up-and-coming artist. She made Wor$t Girl in America almost as a possible final attempt to achieve success, but the result was the opposite. The album’s bold energy, dance-pop and electroclash-inspired sound earned her a deal with a major label and a significant breakthrough into the mainstream.
The Showbox performance also carried a distinctive cultural context. Seattle is known for its historic music scene, associated with grunge, alternative rock and independent music, so a pop concert here feels like more than a commercial show. For Slayyyter, the club venue offered a chance to emphasize her connection to the city’s broader experimental musical tradition.
The singer performed very little of her early material, focusing instead on new songs, select singles and unreleased tracks. Backed by a three-piece band, she delivered energetic performances of “Dance…,” “Broke (Expletive) Free$tyle” and “Crank.” The latter became a viral hit and significantly increased interest in the artist.
Slayyyter’s vocals are not defined by showy power, but her confident delivery works well with the heavy dance rhythms. Some vocal passages sounded more atmospheric than virtuosic, while the band’s rock-oriented approach gave the electronic music added force. “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” and “Gas Station” underscored the show’s defiant character, while “Unknown Loverz” offered listeners a calmer breather.
The encore was the evening’s most explosive moment. During the euphoric “Brand New Chanel$,” Slayyyter finally let her voice open up fully, then closed the night with the brash “Beat Up Chanel$.” The title track from her forthcoming album, Wor$t Man in America, has already appeared on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 — a first in the singer’s career.
As Slayyyter’s popularity grows, other Seattle venues may open their doors to her, including Showbox SoDo, Neumos, The Crocodile, Paramount Theatre, Moore Theatre and Climate Pledge Arena. The choice among them depends on the scale of the tour and the expected audience, but the WAMU Theater — and especially the arenas — are much better suited to elaborate production designs and large-scale shows.
After saying, “See you next time,” Slayyyter left the stage to thunderous applause. Her performance at The Showbox was a rare opportunity to see the artist in a small club before she moves permanently to larger venues and arenas. Judging by the current excitement surrounding her, that transition may not be far away.
Based on: Slayyyter, breakthrough pop star of the summer, rocks out in Seattle