Fletcher — In Search of an Antidote
Fletcher took me on an emotional rollercoaster of jumping up and down, swaying back and forth and tears welling in my eyes. When I arrived at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas, TX it was unlike any crowd I had been a part of before. It felt warm and welcoming, more so than usual. Fletcher is known as a queer artist and fosters an environment that is by and for queer people. It was amazing to see everyone there together. Fletcher started out with “Maybe I Am” complete with the lyrics flashing in the background. Throughout her entire show there were different visuals behind her, for songs “Pretending,” “Bitter,” and “Lead Me On” were all accompanied by their music videos playing on a big screen behind her. All visually very different but engaging all the same, I also appreciated that the lights went along with the video. If there wasn’t a music video to go on with the song there was an appropriate visual or lyrics flashing that kept even the audience all the way in the back entertained. I really appreciated this part of her set, it was different from the plain black background and I would definitely love to see more artists incorporate these visuals. Fletcher engaged with the audience quite a bit and even let us choose a song from the setlist. A screaming contest would determine if she sang “Feel” or “Healing.” After a heated back and forth, “Feel,” an emotional song about trying to forget a past lover, was the one to come out on top. Fletcher’s ability to include the crowd made her show that much more special. She would frequently let the crowd take over for her and the singing back was enough to give me chills. I admired the safe, curated space full of love and authenticity. She also took the time to read signs that people in the crowd had made, it was fun to be able to laugh together during this little intermission, it allowed us as the audience to further connect with her. For her encore Fletcher came out adorned in a custom Dallas Stars jersey while she sang two more songs, “Doing Better” and “Becky’s So Hot.” As her set concluded and she said her final goodbyes, I found myself disappointed that it was over, I wanted her to come back out and play even just one more song. Almost dragging my feet out of the venue. I will always remember the In Search of the Antidote Tour, and Fletcher has gained a new superfan.
