With glitter, liquor and the occasional makeout session, The Fillmore smoldered with sapphic energy Feb. 28. FLETCHER’s concert happened to fall on the final day of the rosy, romantic month, and the performance fittingly seemed to mark either lost or found love for fans — either way, Cari Fletcher (known mononymously as FLETCHER) was ready to throw a party.
Ripples of red light shattered the audience’s buzzing anticipation, and more than 1,000 people raised their drinks, phones and eyes to Fletcher. The singer surprised with her entrance atop the stage’s elevated, boxy structure inspired by New York City buildings.
Mist swirling around her like a supernatural accessory, Fletcher was a glossy vision in her tight white tank and sharp black jacket, with a loose string of diamonds connecting her necklace to her belt.
“Girls, I got girls, only girls,” she sang as she sauntered across the stage, “going wild in my mind.” As if to materialize Fletcher’s unconstrained dreams, the crowd roared with jocundity. The lighthearted Australian singer and opener G Flip blew kisses to Fletcher from the balcony, later helping rouse a sea of phone lights.
Gratitude fueled her euphoric energy, which laced the concert’s unadulterated electricity with sweetness. While it was sometimes easy for the audience — and at times, even Fletcher herself — to get lost in spectacle, Fletcher’s authenticity kept the show grounded.
The concert lasted a little over an hour, yet Fletcher’s 18-song spirited set list seemed to fly by. Oscillating between heartbreak and horniness, she commanded the stage with poise, sensuality and determination.
After an intense performance of her hit “Undrunk,” Fletcher shrugged off her jacket and climbed a ladder to the stage’s top platform, spurring her to mention her fear of heights. “We do s— that scares us, and it makes us grow,” she shared.
Legs swinging over the structure, Fletcher performed her unreleased slow burn track “F— You for Ruining New York City For Me.” With dimmed lights and minimal production, it was easy to imagine Fletcher perched on a New York fire escape, mourning in the moonlight.
At one point during the song, Fletcher raised her middle finger to an especially doleful “f— you,” and soon everyone’s raised middle fingers were swaying along. The collectivism spilled beyond that singular moment, the night reaffirming the ability to find solace in community amid anger and sorrow.
The bittersweet intimacy soon transitioned into a surprise cover of Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” which effectively dialed back up the energy as Fletcher launched into performances from her debut album The S(ex) Tapes.
After dynamic performances of “Silence,” “If I Hated You” and “Feel,” the lights came up as Fletcher took a marker from her stagehand. “I have signed so many t— this tour,” she said, jumping off stage to approach the crowd at the barricade.
Amid the disarray of people frantically stripping and surging toward the stage, one poster rose above heads: “Top surgery in 4 days, sign my t— away?” — and indeed, Fletcher signed her fan’s t— away to the loudest cheers of the night.
At the same time, fans also weren’t afraid to get a little rowdy. “Fletcher, f— me!” yelled a desperate fan, their timely cry instantly met with scarlet strobe lights and the opening lustful synth of “The One.” The trend of happily horny songs continued, with hip-thrusting crowd-pleasers “Shh…Don’t Say It,” “Last Laugh” and “Bitter.”
For her encore, Fletcher exchanged theatrical spite for profound pathos, pulling out her guitar for an acoustic version of the unreleased song “For Cari” and tender “Healing.”
Although an ex might have ruined New York City for Fletcher, San Francisco welcomed her with open arms and heavy hearts. Healing may not be a linear journey, but Fletcher’s show at The Fillmore reminded her audience that love always circles back when it’s most needed.
