After Sabrina Carpenter released her single “Espresso” back in May of this year, I was famished to see her on stage. When she announced her Short n Sweet tour, I was determined to see it, especially since she hadn’t hosted a concert in Portland for years. The concert did catch my attention (if you know, you know), as there were many short and sweet surprises, amazing songs, stunning designs, and much more. If you are hoping to see Sabrina sometime, you should put her concert on your list.
The concert was held at the Moda Center, so when my mom and I got there, we were surprised to find that it was very easy to get inside. Security was well controlled, getting rid of our fear of crazed fans. As we got inside, soft baby blues and pinks streamed around the Moda Center, awfully fitting for the vibe of her concert. We decided to check out her merch stands. Her merch was filled with many interesting items, including sweaters, lingerie, make-up essentials, and pajama sets. We bought a lot, and the quality was good for how expensive it was.
When the show started, we were shocked to see a short filmed intro, portraying how she “forgot” that she had a concert today. It then leads to her running on the stage with a towel, rushing to get ready for the show. When she finally got to the bottom of the stage, she showed off her bedazzled body suit, which my mom and I found stunning while fans screamed around us. We had a clear view of the concert as we obtained tickets for the standing pit. It was awesome to see her close-up. Her set list contained most of her songs from her new album “Short n Sweet” and a few oldies from her “emails i can’t send” and “emails i can’t send fwd” albums.
Her choreography and acting throughout the show were immaculate, as she made every song of hers have some sort of purpose for herself and others as well. I may have gotten a little emotional at some parts because of how good the acting was. She had a lot of backup dancers and singers who brought out a lot of character to the song “Bad Chem” with an ending that was not suitable for the audience under the age of 14. She also had a raising platform, while she sang “Juno” which when she made humorous as she was lifted out of her pose.
The ending of the show felt a little bit rushed for me, as I did attend her concert in Portland during “The De-Tour” concert. Compared to “The De-Tour”, it was more abrupt, which did fit the style, but it was disappointing. You can tell how much Sabrina Carpenter has grown as her past tours were more old-fashioned with smaller venues. This concert was a notable step up from 2017.
The ticket pricing was high even for the GA standing pit. My mom paid $450 for each ticket, which brought it to a total of $900. At the start of the show, it was calm as people got settled in, but when fans got more invested, it was harder to see Sabrina sing and dance. It wasn’t until about halfway through the show that we could finally see her. Although it did have a nice view of the flat screen and the set, I do not recommend buying GA standing-pit tickets.
Overall the concert was pleasurable in every aspect, despite the standing-pit. It was a solid 8/10 with memories I will carry forever. I would recommend seeing her in Portland whenever she announces another tour.