Photo of Blondshell by Laura Jerele
This night sure was a fun one at Delmar Hall with Blondshell (the musical moniker of Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum) making her long-overdue St. Louis debut. For those of us packed into Delmar Hall, everything felt instantly tuned in and well matched, especially with their opener, She’s Green. For a first stop in town, the crowd really showed up—thank you for that, St. Louis! You were ready, engaged, and totally on board for Blondshell’s indie-pop-meets-grunge world. This music feels a little bit Soccer Mommy-leaning, but with a rawer, brash edge. To me, that sets her apart, cuts through the noise. She is not afraid of real and raw and that came through in the show, in the best way possible.
Teitelbaum walked onstage with the kind of unforced presence that’s become her signature. Low key lights. No stage gimmicks or drama. Just the band with the crowd. Throughout the show, Sabrina moved with ease, brushing her hair back off her face, kneeling on the stage to feel closer to us (or to the music?) closing her eyes mid-line in moments of simple and pure performance. There was nothing contrived about any of it, just a real person telling real stories, standing in her power without apology or flash. It felt very new-age-grunge to me, and I mean that in the best way: stripped of pretense, anchored in the moment.
She pulled heavily from her latest album, If You Asked for a Picture, giving the songs a little extra grit live. “T&A” hit early and set the tone, a slow-burn honesty that gave way into something cathartic. Her cover of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” was unexpectedly charming, it was playful but still fitting into her sonic palette. The indie-radio favorite “What’s Fair,” which the crowd clearly knew, was early in the set much to my surprise. Hearing it live, with its emotional bite and fuzzy weight, brought a new edge of this song that I wasn’t expecting.
“Kiss City” gave one of the night’s softer punches, late in the set, swooning with dirty lyrics but it also sneaks up on you with its vulnerability and heaviness. Live, the lyrics landed even more pointedly, wrapped in swirling guitars and a quietly intense delivery that made the room feel smaller – and I also mean that in the best way possible.
Blondshell didn’t need theatrics or heavy staging to make the night feel full. She simply showed up and played a damn fine night. I might add that for a first St. Louis appearance, she didn’t just make an impression: she left a mark, and people won’t miss a future tour stop. Blondshell did not disappoint.
And a fabulous surprise to the show was the shoegaze heavy opener, She’s Green. Hailing from Minnesota, they brought a very loud and fuzzy set that was the epitome of shoegaze, complete with dark and moody lighting and dreamy, drifting harmonies. I loved their set and will definitely be rotating their songs after discovering them. Isn’t it awesome when the opening band is just as good as the headliner and you find a new band to love? | Laura Jerele
