It was the name that drew me to my concert of choice on Monday night. I’m honestly not sure why but something about the way Slayyyter was spelled with three y’s just really spoke to me? I’m not kidding there, I knew I didn’t have anything else going on Monday and I am always down to check anything and everything out so, there I was, at The Turf Club about to experience Slayyyter with no clue what I was getting myself into.
It was hard to imagine that just a couple of weeks ago, I was in The Turf Club seeing the almighty Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer. The vibe on Monday night was completely different from that as the opening act LoveLeo took the stage. With just a DJ table and a microphone, LoveLeo instantly got the sold-out audience strapping on their dancing shoes and had the club feeling more like an EDM spot than I had ever felt it before. With the floor trembling at the jumping happening from the audience, the energy throughout the room was palpable and impossible not to get lost in. From some familiar tunes and some originals, I loved that LoveLeo let his music do most of the talking with him only addressing the audience when checking in with them or letting them know that the next track was an original. Other than that, he was pretty quiet while dancing and fist-pumping to get the crowd amped up.
Born Catherine Garner, 25-year-old Slayyyter is a pop singer from the midwest. Again, upon entering The Turf Club on Monday, I knew nothing about this woman but by the time her set was over, I wanted to know everything. She instantly had me hooked with her attitude and infectious sound that ranged from everything from Britney Spears to Dua Lipa. A true pop songstress, like LoveLeo, Slayyyter had an undeniable power over the crowd and had the entire place bumping along to her beats. Was Slayyyter’s overly pop sound quite my cup of tea? Absolutely not but there was no way to listen to it and not have a smile on your face and it was hard to not bop along to the beats that were thumping through the venue.Even though Slayyyter faced some controversy back in 2019 due to some old tweets that surfaced, her fan base is devoted to her and that was truly the cherry on top when it came to the Monday night performance. Sure, it was sold-out and sold-out shows always have an undeniable sense of excitement about them but there was something different about the excitement surrounding this show. This was a night out for so many people, it wasn’t just another show. Treating the entry door as a bit of a runway, people had pulled out all of the stops when it came to their outfits and make-up for the night. I loved just looking at the creativity around me whether that came in the form of hairstyles, clothing, or make-up. I feel that really made it feel like more than just another night spent at another show for me.
After a couple of songs had passed, a friend I was with texted me a Spotify link for a Slayyyter song titled “Hello Kitty”. If you know me, you know I have an odd obsession with Hello Kitty to the point where I have a giant tattoo on my arm devoted to her. Knowing that this song was coming got me excited and although the song was uber short and I probably would have missed it had I not cheated and peeked at Slayyyter’s setlist, that was definitely a highlight of the night for me.
Slayyyter’s music may not be my cup of tea. It’s like my dad always says, “[She’s] good at what she does, I just don’t like what it is she does.” Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time as I watched her through the flashing lights as she danced her way through the set and got the audience all worked up but I just prefer a little less bass and a little bit more instrumentation. All of that being said, Monday night was not my show. It was a show for everyone who has been following Slayyyter for years and I think it’s safe to assume that they all had a great night and, in the end, that’s all that matters.