Fans of two queer pop icons were faced with a great dilemma Saturday night: To go to Jake Wesley Rogers’ sold out Peace, Love & Pluto show at the Bronze Peacock, or, right across the hallway, to Betty Who’s BIG! Houston stop in the House of Blues main room.
Lucky for you, we covered both so you didn’t have to make that decision.
The night began with another super star in her own right: Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars Winner, (among many other accomplishments), Shea Couleé, who opened for Betty Who with a fabulous, heavily choreographed, set of club-ready drag anthems. But what stuck with many concertgoers were her interludes—remarks about the current political campaign against drag—which tinted the evening’s otherwise carefree aura with a sense of necessary reality: there are real politicians putting their weight behind making the very show we’re enjoying illegal.
Over in the Bronze Peacock at 9:00pm sharp, Jake Wesley Rogers emerged from the curtains a bundle of pastel tulle, blonde hair spilling across the petals of a ruffled tutu sleeve, as his arm shot above his head à la 1975 Elton John at Dodger Stadium. The tulle shawl he wore was created by up and coming designer Troy Dylan Allen, and has quickly becoming an iconic staple of his Pluto tour.
But beneath the fanfare there is an accomplished musician. Rogers has earned his spot in the singer-songwriter heading. At the age of 26 he has toured with major artists (Panic! At the Disco, Ben Platt), garnered the attention and support of Justin Tranter (former lead vocalist and songwriter for Semi-Precious Weapons) and Warner Records CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, who admitted that Rogers’ live performance left him captivated, before he and Tranter signed the young artist in 2020. Saturday’s set included all of his newest EP Pluto’s songs with a few unreleased gems as well. It was a heartfelt, surprisingly personal performance. Despite the packed venue, he seemed, impossibly, to make eye contact with everyone in his field of view as he sang. The audience was entranced—singing along, swaying to the piano-heavy anthems, and even crying during some especially poignant, stripped down numbers.
At 9:20pm, just across the hallway, in the House of Blues main room, Betty Who entered stage from behind an LED screen backdrop, followed by two lively dancers, and flew right into her first track, WEEKEND. She sang to her enamored fans, “Let me give you somethin’ you can really sink your teeth in/ What you doin’ for the weekend?” And the answer: They were there to have a great time. Betty Who’s positive spirit is nothing short of contagious. Even during her many dance routines she managed to survey the room, smiling all the while. Though the venue wasn’t packed wall-to-wall, we really got a sense that her fans are devout, and have a real relationship to each song—which more than made up for the slight lack in reception. Who ran through her latest album’s tracks, tossing in a few old favorites for good measure and it was as joyful and beautiful an experience as you’d expect from the Australian pop star who brought us All of You and Heartbreak Dream.
As it turns out Betty and Jake met up before their respective shows—Betty, posting to instagram, “best unexpected tour crossover day ever,” calling Jake her soul sister. We couldn’t agree more!
Jake Wesley Rogers’ Peace, Love & Pluto tour will continue with a slew of sold-out shows beginning in Phoenix, AZ on March 6th going until April 12th. Tickets and information available at https://www.jakewesleyrogers.com/.
Betty Who’s BIG! tour’s next stop is in Nashville, TN on March 6th and will continue through California in March and April. Visit http://www.bettywhomusic.com/ for dates and tickets.
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