Enchanting Night at The Regent: Pomme's North American Tour Finale

Written by: Ephney Tsai

As the final stop on her first North American tour, Pomme performed at The Regent Theater on Wednesday, June 19th, with special guest opener beccs, an indie pop artist hailing from Boston that currently works out of Brooklyn. The two vocalists showed off their versatility, range, and stage presence with the short but sweet show.

Kicking things off was beccs, who performed songs such as her latest single, "Rage In My Veins," and 2023 releases "Good Comin'" and "I Don't Do Fun." With her mellow but edgy soft pop music to build up the anticipation for the main act, beccs was the perfect opener for Pomme. She swayed around and commanded the crowd with confidence, and built up the energy just enough for 9pm, when Pomme finally made her way to the stage.

Pomme, who her opening act dubbed as a "magical siren," performed songs old and new, and in both English and French. Pomme started her set with "_jun perseides," before moving into one of her most popular tracks, "Je sais pas danser." The French singer-songwriter's melodic voice radiated throughout the quaint theatre, and with every subtle run or high note she flawlessly executed, fans could be seen nodding their heads in approval as they grooved along to the music.

Despite the simple stage setup with just Pomme, her guitars, her auto harp, and her keyboard, her stage presence was demanding. Full of confidence and passion, the singer's voice carried all throughout the venue, even in moments she strayed from the microphone. "It's just me performing tonight," she began. "This is also how I write all my music, so this is very true and emotional tonight."

Aside from her beautiful voice, Pomme also shared jokes and stories between each song, delighting the crowd with her down-to-earth personality. "I bought this shirt today at a vintage store," she started to share as a random anecdote. "I thought it would be a cute and fun idea, but I'm sure everyone in the front can smell me." Aside from these silly moments, the singer also shared different notes about each song. "Nelly" was inspired by the author Nelly Arcan, and how her stories about women in the early 2000s resonated with and inspired Pomme. "la rivière" was based off a scene in Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, in which the protagonist Chihiro must cross a bridge without letting the monsters smell her. Lightening the mood once again, the singer mentioned how she would fail this task if she were dressed in her newly purchased vintage shirt.

Putting deep thought and effort into her setlist, Pomme even surprised everyone with an auto harp cover of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors." The French songstress explained that she went through a time during middle school where she only listened to country music, blue grass music, and Lady Gaga, and fell in love with Dolly Parton's voice despite her classmates' bewilderment. Suited perfectly for Pride Month, the singer dedicated her song "On brûlera" to the queer folx in the crowd, feigning surprise that there were any at all. "This song is about burning in hell," she stated, before beginning to strum on her auto harp.

Another memorable performance was of the song "very bad," which was described as a safe space for soft anger. "I wrote it in English because I didn't want to be rude in French. Think about toxic relationships you have been in, smile, and throw a big fuck you into the air," she started. "If you haven't been in one, maybe you're toxic, but it's okay because there's time to change. And if you really can't think of anyone, think of a French politician," she shared with a laugh before strumming the beginning notes to the song. Also for this performance, Pomme prepared a disposable camera to pass around the crowd, encouraging fans to take photos of themselves for her Instagram scrapbook.

Throughout the night, Pomme gracefully thanked the audience for their attendance. "This is my first U.S. tour, and I can't believe so many people are here to see me sing my sad French songs," she said earnestly. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, Pomme sang each song with raw emotion, smiling to herself with every cheer from the crowd. The evening ended with encore performances of her songs "B." and "grandiose," and the singer-songwriter was giving her final bow with one more heartfelt "thank you."

Setlist:

_jun perseides

Je sais pas danser

Nelly

la rivière

pourquoi la mort te fait peur

Coat of Many Colors (originally by Dolly Parton)

On brûlera

very bad

weird

Ceux qui rêvent

soleil soleil

anxiété

jardin

Encore:

B.

grandiose