Indie-rock and pop artist Blondshell stopped by Boston's Royale on the If You Asked For A Tour promoting her candid new album If You Asked For A Picture. The performance was moved from The Sinclair due to overwhelming demand. Boston showed up and showed out, buzzing with excitement at the barricade and in the merchandise line, which included a shirt featuring colorful thumbtacks on it inspired by her song "Thumbtack." Meanwhile, Blondshell and her band chatted backstage while bassist Maia Nelson painted their nails a navy blue and drummer Anna Crane showed everyone cute pictures of dogs.

Soon after, they strutted on stage and immediately dove into the thought-provoking track "23's A Baby." Each song on the setlist showcased Blondshell's talent for tongue-in-cheek cleverness. Fans clearly resonated with the live renditions, screaming every lyric as a form of cathartic release. Blondshell would excitedly point to fans singing along, fostering a personal connection and validating their passion. She was particularly busy interacting with fans during songs like "Olympus."

Blondshell twirled around the stage while waving her arms and head to the beat. She shared glances and smiles with her band, feeding off their energy. Her dynamic movements, like dropping to her knees during songs like "Sepsis" and "Arms," infused energy into the venue.

Boston was especially excited when she sat down with her guitarist Kerri Stewart to play an unreleased track called "Berlin TV Tower." She revealed it was inspired by the idea that one can take back one's agency when "feeling like you don't have the right to start over whenever you want." The decision to only employ a guitar highlighted her signature hypnotizing melodies.

Blondshell was a woman of few words until the second half of the show, where she flattered Boston: "You sound really good. And I actually wore my glasses so that I could see you tonight, and I've never done that before. But there's something about a Boston crowd. I'm not just saying that for you. There actually is," before diving into a cover of "Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae. Her melancholic and raw vocals added a layer of depth to the track, seamlessly adapting it to her style.

Blondshell returned for a moving two-song encore. Before performing the final song, she also spoke about Juneteenth, the holiday that night: "I feel indebted to black artists who've shaped culture both with and without credit for hundreds of years. There would be absolutely no pop music and certainly no rock and roll without generations of art made by black musicians in America. If you're a white person fighting for change, I hope that your resistance includes looking into predominately white spaces that you are a part of, spaces such as the genre of indie rock...If your feminism is just for you and your friends, it is not actually feminism."

She ended the set with the grungy and empowering viral track "Salad" before waving to fans and escaping backstage for the final time. Blondshell crafted an intimate and high-energy performance that showcased her powerful vocals and her mission to use her voice to inspire people to think and spark change. Make sure to catch Blondshell live before the If You Asked For A Tour ends in November. Buy tickets here.