Admittedly, I am not a frequent concert-goer. I have only attended a handful of concerts in my life, and I am rather picky about who I choose to attend, despite the vast number of artists that visit Dallas. Every once in a while, however, I catch wind of a special, rare artist going on tour, one who I have listened to for years and cheered on from my corner; one worth breaking my concert-going hiatus for. For me, that artist was Coco & Clair Clair, a hyperpop duo from Atlanta. They are known for their girly but sharp lyrics (“[He’s] kind of ugly, but love is blind”), hits such as “crushcrushcrush” and “Pretty,” and musical appearances in shows such as HBO’s Euphoria.
Coco & Clair Clair kicked off the American leg of their So Sexy tour in Austin with SXSW, then Houston, and finally visited House of Blues Dallas, with artist/producer Raven and singer/multi-instrumentalist grandma as their openers. The venue was intimate; we were packed into the Cambridge room, which made the concert feel more like a house show. Fans laughed with each other, danced and sang to Coco & Clair Clair songs as we waited for the concert to kick off.
Ambient music began to play, and pastel lighting fell over the stage to signal the beginning of Raven’s set. A hush fell over the crowd as he began to play with the synthesizer in front of him and croon over melodies using autotune. Working with the audience’s fascination, Raven did a quick outfit change and crossed over into hyperpop to get the crowd moving and jumping with him, building the energy so effectively that he jumped into the pit and started dancing with everyone. All too soon, his set came to an end and we were all asking each other for the set list, an encore, or something to continue his transcendent performance. Raven will be supporting Coco & Clair Clair for the rest of their U.S. tour.
As the colorful lights faded, I strained my eyes to see what was going on on stage. An additional synthesizer was rolled in, as were a guitar and a set of drums. Much like the first opener, I was not familiar with grandma and did not know what to expect. After a few sharp kicks from the drums and a gentle chord from the guitar, Liam Hall, also known as grandma, dove head first into songs from his newest EP, Angelhood. He was supported by guitarist Lilly Graves and drummer Rex de Tiger. The answer to my question was clear: grandma was a definitive indie rock act. Hall was full of energy, even hopping on top of a high speaker and shouting the lyrics to, “God Hired You To Be My Baby,” as a sea of fans jumped and thrashed around with him. The cheering was so intense that someone walking by might assume this was a dedicated grandma concert, not an opening set for another artist. If there were any doubts regarding Hall’s stage presence or musicality, they were silenced when he began playing the synthesizer in front of him for an electronic remix of Coco & Clair Clair’s hit “Pretty” to close off his innovative set. Hall was supported by guitarist Lilly Graves and drummer Rex de Tiger.
Immediately after, the lights cut to black and the opening notes to “Bad Lil Vibe” played. Screams erupted from the crowd. A sea of hands (and phones) went up, and although I could not see them, I knew Coco & Clair Clair had arrived. Wearing sunglasses and all-black clothing, the Atlanta duo appeared onstage and began singing. After greeting us, Coco made a surprising admission: “This is our first time in Dallas, and we’re really excited to be here!” Wasting no time, they jumped right into “crushcrushcrush,” a dreamy bedroom pop track describing the stages of having a crush. Before the concert began, Sai, my friend and plus one, joked about the possibility of a mosh pit breaking out during the concert. Although that did not happen, I got swept up in a fast sea of hands and jumping bodies as Clair Clair sang about a summer of fun-filled flings and Coco joked about the appearance of her mystery beau. It was an incomparable feeling; I had listened to that track for years, imagining what it might sound like live, but from my headphones or in the car, not in the company of other excited fans (and the artists themselves).
The live energy was much better than I could’ve anticipated, and I will remember it fondly when I listen to their discography in the future. The setlist combined old and new: “Bitches,” “The Hills,” and “TBTF” off of their shiny 2022 debut album, Sexy, were tossed in alongside tried and true classics like “Wishy Washy,” “Pop Star,” and “Pretty.” The latter track was played as an encore to the pleading crowd (myself included!). Before playing, Coco made sure to give thanks, commenting that Dallas had the best crowd thus far and that the duo would be back soon. The song choice for the encore was otherworldly; hearing the ethereal synth progression of “Pretty” after a long night out was the highlight of the night. The crowd was all smiles, and friends hugged each other and their neighbors as the concert came to a peaceful ending. As fans spilled out of the venue and onto the streets, echoes of Coco & Clair Clair songs could be heard, no doubt proof that the hyperpop duo from Atlanta had made their mark on Dallas.
