Sabrina Carpenter shined in front of a sold-out crowd at CFG Bank Arena on October 5th for her 8th show of the “Short n’ Sweet” tour. Did she make quite an impression? Here is my experience at the show.
I went with my friend and we drove to the arena from College Park. As we waited for the show to start, we snagged our merch and looked out at the fans dressed in pastels, sparkles and platform boots (a Sabrina staple).
Amarae first took the stage to perform a few of her songs and led a rendition of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” as part of her set. At 8:35 p.m., it was finally time for Sabrina! Her show was split into three acts:
Act One: The Short n Sweet Show (The Campiest Slumber Party Ever)
An expanding heart graphic and an introductory video opened Act One. The curtain lifted to reveal a penthouse set, and fans screamed as Carpenter ran on stage in a bathrobe with a stunning blue lingerie set underneath as she performed “Taste” and “Good Graces”.
“Good morning, Baltimore,” Carpenter said as she welcomed the crowd to the show. She shouted out Amarae. Then, the stage turned red when transitioning to “Slim Pickins” over an open fire.
“Slim Pickins” led into three ballads: “Tornado Warnings,” “Lie to Girls” and “Decode”. Then, Carpenter transitioned from sad to sultry with one of my favorites, “Bed Chem.” She crooned the song while sitting on a round bed, marking the transition to Act Two.
Act Two: Sabrina After Dark (Her “I made it” Moment)
Act Two also opened with an intro video that screamed Old Hollywood and vintage 1970s. Then, Carpenter entered with a black catsuit and sang a jazzy rendition of “Feather”.
This was only my second concert. As fans screamed the lyrics to “Sharpest Tool”, “Opposite” and “Because I Liked a Boy,” I had to take it all in purely because I had never seen anything like it. I’m sure Carpenter did too as she sat on her heart-shaped toilet with her head hanging down.
She and her dancers lounged on a heart platform in the middle of the stage as she performed “Coincidence.”At every show, fans anticipate her performance of a surprise cover song, which was “Material Girl,” a Madonna classic. To close out this act, she performed the song that put her on the map: “Nonsense.”
“Don’t Touch that Dial!”: Is it that Sweet? I Guess So
The final act of the show is arguably her best, spotlighting all of her current hits, including her viral hit, “Juno”. During this performance, she gave a fan her fuzzy pink handcuffs and debuted a new freaky position: one-legged with a bent knee. The show ended in a cavalcade of confetti while Carpenter performed “Espresso” and thanked her dancers, crew and fans for supporting her at the show.
So, what is my rating of the show? It was a 10/10 and the most electric concert I have ever seen!