Carlie Hanson @The Back Room
Milwaukee, WI - March 11th, 2023
Wisconsin-native Carlie Hanson made a triumphant homecoming on March 11, as she took the stage at The Back Room @ Colectivo in Milwaukee, WI for the Home is Where the Heart is' tour to celebrate the release of her sophomore album Wisconsin.
“This is my home state baby,” Hanson cheered. “This is so exciting for me I could probably cry, but I’m not gonna because that’s weird. Thank you for being here. Cheers to being a Wisconsinite!”
Hanson held to her Wisconsin roots as she sipped on a cold beer between performing songs, like Nice To Know Ya and Snot, off her debut album Tough Boy. She donned a Milwaukee Brewers t-shirt and held a microphone stand that was covered with beanie babies and other miscellaneous plushies.
“I moved from home like five years ago,” Hanson said. “This whole album talks about how much I appreciate where I’m from and how much I miss it. I just love you guys. I love the people here. I will never lose sight of who I am and where I come from.”
She continued by performing songs such as Illusion, LSE to LAX, and College Boy which are all featured on the new album. Hanson effortlessly belted out emotion-ridden choruses, with killer vocal technique. Her band cultivated an energetic aura in the venue, as bassist Cas and guitarist Matthew jumped on speakers and incorporated the crowd. Hanson held toasts to Wisconsin, thanked fans, and continually expressed humble gratitude.
“Obviously this is my favorite crowd of the tour so far,” Hanson said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m just so happy right now.”
After an acoustic, emotional moment, Hanson heard cries from the audience. She leaned over and gave the lucky fan a big hug.
“You guys are so sweet,” she said. “I feel at home here. I want to hug you all!”
At the climax of her set, Hanson rocked the audience with popular tracks “Side Effects” and “Numb.” Both songs have over 20 million streams on Spotify. The audience screamed along to the beloved track, as Hanson danced along to the bass-heavy beats.
Hanson sang a new song for the first time, Fish Out of Water. She said that she was nervous, but then delivered a raw, dynamic, goosebump-inducing rendition of the track. She acoustically began Only One, her song that blew up in 2017, amassing 75 million Spotify streams. Her angelic head voice nurtured the audience before the band exploded in with full force on the last chorus and Hanson displayed her best vocal of the night.
“I think this is the best day of my life,” Hanson said to the audience before exiting the stage. She stayed in The Back Room after to meet fans, sign posters and take selfies.
Hanson will embark on 14 more tour dates on the tour until April third in LA. Find tickets and dates here.