Bella Kay Smashes sold out show at thalia hall
Photographed by Lalo De Armas
On September 21, Bella Kay brought her The Reckless Tour to a sold-out Thalia Hall in Chicago. The show fell on the tail end of her debut headlining tour, which has spanned 13 cities across the United States since beginning in early September. Supported by Hailey Picardi, the two artists delivered an emotionally vulnerable and powerful night.
Hailey released her debut EP, scars to prove it, back in May featuring ‘double edged sword,’ which has been experiencing a wave of streams and online attention. As Hailey Picardi took to the stage for her opening performance, the audience erupted into synchronized applause. The reaction to her arrival was a testament to the momentum she has built through her EP’s success, rising social media presence and involvement in The Reckless Tour.
Hailey maintained an organic dialogue with the crowd throughout the night, often describing specific social scenarios and asking whether her audience could relate. She played a broad selection of her discography, culminating in none other than ‘double edged sword.’ In all my life, I have never heard an audience sing back a song at the same volume as the artist until Hailey began this song. It was a surreal moment to witness the profound impact her words have had as the room belted each word back to her. Hailey would later host a meet-and-greet by her merch booth with fans lining up until well after the night’s performances had concluded.
Photographed by Lalo De Armas
Following Hailey’s set, I spoke with a number of fans about the songs they hoped Bella would sing as we awaited her set. While several people already knew her setlist, a hopeful few were manifesting that ‘tongue,’ ‘i deserve better’ and ‘marrow’ would make the cut. As the anticipation peaked, Bella walked out to screams from all corners of the two-story venue.
Photographed by Lalo De Armas
Her command of the stage was simply phenomenal as she approached her fans and moved across the various seating options incorporated into her set. She was accompanied by her guitarist and drummer, who stepped away for a brief period as she delivered an acoustic selection of songs around the halfway point of her performance.
No matter where you looked, seeing fans screaming the lyrics to quite literally every single one of her songs was simply unavoidable. Bella reciprocated this appreciation by taking a moment to sing “Happy Birthday” to those in the crowd celebrating the special occasion, receiving fan-made gifts and acknowledging one fan who was attending their first-ever concert.
After tearing through many songs from her debut album, My Reckless Abandon, Bella introduced her fellow musicians and bid the audience goodnight. There was clearly a mutual understanding throughout the room that something was still missing as Bella returned to the stage to shouts for her to close with ‘iloveitiloveitiloveit,’ her viral hit.
She sang as the entire room continued screaming every word, this time with even more vigor than before. It was just as infectious to watch Bella enjoy reciting her own lyrics as it was to see everyone else having the time of their lives!
Bella Kay and Hailey Picardi have both emerged onto the indie pop scene with immense force. This tour only affirms what many are learning: Bella and Hailey are masterful songwriters capable of channeling their own experiences into tracks that resonate profoundly with younger generations.
What a privilege it was to photograph both of their sets!
Photographed by Lalo De Armas