UPSAHL Headlines at The End, Starts New Stage in Her Career

WRVU gets exclusive opportunity to cover press for UPSAHL’s show at The End on October 8th, 2022.

By the time the doors to UPSAHL’s sold out show at The End opened, there was already a line snaking towards the back of the parking lot. When UPSAHL herself made an appearance on stage two hours later, after a rousing opening performance by King Mala, the anticipation in the crowd was palpable. For just over an hour, UPSAHL owned the stage. Opening with the titular track from her debut album, Lady Jesus, she immediately had the audience dancing and singing along. Each time the chorus rolled around, and UPSAHL sang “middle finger to the sky,” the crowd became a sea of middle fingers waving in the air. There was an obvious exchange of energy between the stage and the audience which propelled the dynamic, high energy set. Singing directly to the audience, UPSAHL traveled the whole length of the stage more than once per song–her continuous interaction with the crowd encouraging her fans to fully embrace the energy of her music.

Middle Fingers in the Sky, photo by Amanda Maeglin

Throughout the night, UPSAHL mentioned how thrilled she was to be performing in Nashville. Soon after she stepped on stage, she talked about her strong connection to the city, saying that it is a generative place for her and that she always tries to visit when she is working on projects. As the night went on, it seemed that UPSAHL’s hopes for the show were far exceeded. The audience’s energy never plateaued, and neither did the energy from the stage. In fact, it grew with each successive song.

UPSAHL Points at the Camera, photo by Amanda Maeglin

UPSAHL seemed truly touched by the enthusiasm that met her rousing performance. In a moment between songs, she expressed her gratitude for her fans. She told a captivated audience that she secretly thought only four people would show up to each performance on her first headline tour. The packed show at The End certainly proved that she had nothing to worry about, and the artist emphasized how grateful she was. The fact that people not only bought tickets to the show, but then made the effort to come and dance and have fun, she said, meant the world to her. As the night progressed, it could not have been clearer how central this pure love for music and appreciation for her fans is to both her work and her performance. UPSAHL left nothing on the table; no part of the stage was un-traversed, and she danced her heart out to every song. Towards the end of her setlist, she descended from the stage to sing and dance alongside her fans.

UPSAHL, photos by Amanda Maeglin

When I spoke with UPSAHL before the start of her tour, she mentioned how excited she was to be headlining since the shows would be filled solely with her own fans. This meant, she explained to me, that everyone at her shows would know the songs and come ready to rage. This was absolutely true. Everywhere I looked, I saw fans belting out her powerful lyrics with incredible passion. They danced, they screamed, they exchanged euphoric looks when UPSAHL sang directly to them. It was clear that her predictions about a crowd of her fans were spot on. UPSAHL’s setlist featured her 2019 hit “Drugs,” as well as notable tracks from Lady Jesus, such as “Lunatic,” and “IDFWFEELINGS.” She also played her single “Antsy,” which was written in Nashville and released only a few weeks before the show. For every song, fans were singing along, dancing, and having the time of their lives.