Dreamy indie-pop star Madilyn Mei (Elio) stopped by a sold-out Brighton Music Hall on October 29th on The One Man Circus Tour. Fans of all ages dressed in clown and jester attire wandered into the venue, complete with ballooned clothes and Mei's signature clown face paint, showing their dedication to the singer-songwriter. Gasps could be heard around the venue as guests took in the set on stage. Two giant hands hung from the ceiling, thumbs extended toward each other, holding an array of string lights as if they were Mei's puppet masters.

A ringmaster with a conductor's baton guided the flashing lights housed in scallop shells along the stage, eliciting thunderous cheers from the crowd. As he prepared the scene and awakened the circus, Mei skipped onto the stage in an elaborate, richly textured clown outfit. Details included a black ruff collar, pompom embellishments, intricate gold embroidery, and a comedy-and-tragedy mask belt buckle. They dove into an array of their resonant, vulnerable tracks, like "One Man Circus" and "A Can Of Worms." Fans of all ages sang along, teary-eyed, feeling scene, and reminding everyone about the power of live music.

Mei held the crowd in the palm of their hand for the rest of the night, using choreography as a storytelling device to enhance lyrics, such as when they lifted their arms like a marionette doll getting their strings pulled. He effortlessly weaved these passionate emotional moments with cathartic fun during songs like "Poppin Skittles." He jumped around the stage, enabling fans to dance just as freely and enjoy the moment. As this tour is in support of their new album, A Thousand Songs About It All: Act 1, Mei aptly bid adieu to fans with the track "Intermission (Adieu Until Act 2)," leaving Boston craving another headline show soon. Make sure to catch Mei live before The One Man Circus Tour ends later this month. Buy tickets here.