10.14.26 Minneapolis, MN

Paris Paloma played a sold-out show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN, on October 14. Paloma’s latest album, The Fatal Flaw, feels ripped out of a fantasy novel and interlaced with themes of Greek mythology. Exploring these two themes together created a night of overflowing support for women and humanity. The fans dressed appropriately, as the floor of First Avenue was filled with flowy dresses, skirts, fairy outfits, and different interpretations of figures from Greek mythology.

Adorned in a tulle skirt and tiara, Susannah Joffe graced the stage with her opening set. The indie-pop singer matched the whimsical energy of Paloma. Floating onto the stage to “Your Mother’s Name,” the fans were loudly singing back to her. Fans on the barricade sang passionately and were ride-or-die for the opener. She introduced “Texas Baby” as an ode to her country roots. Even though it seemed like everyone in the room knew who she was, her set was a great introduction to Joffe’s stunning vocal performance and introspective music.

Photos by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto

Towering over the center of the stage was a wooden tree also found on the cover of The Fatal Flaw. The tree design was inspired by Colquhoun’s Diagrams of Love, and that only scratched the surface of the symbolism Paloma brought onstage with her music and performance. The British singer-songwriter studied fine arts and the history of art during her time at university, and this deep appreciation for the arts was apparent in her performance and the way she related human emotions to other forms of media.

*Photo by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto*

A few songs into her set, Paloma spoke openly about her disdain for generative AI. She mentioned that “Miyazaki” is the first track off The Fatal Flaw and was inspired by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, who famously called AI "an insult to life itself.” It was obvious the fans agreed with Paloma as they screamed the lyrics back to her each time she pointed the microphone towards them.

To continue on the art theme, Paloma followed up with “Rothko,” which was inspired by Rothko paintings that are said to make people cry. She explained that when she first saw it, she didn’t feel anything towards it and used that to equate to the end of a relationship where she felt nothing at all about it ending. The beauty of Paloma’s words and stage presence continued throughout the show. She twirled perfectly, so her black ruffled dress and blonde hair flitted in the air.

While that art wasn’t making her cry, she made an interesting callback to that song later in the set with “I Cry in Front of Paintings.” Paloma sang, “I cry in front of paintings now, but not the ones I thought," which connected to her lack of emotion in “Rothko.” Paloma also continued on, showing her knowledge of Greek mythology, as this song referenced Orpheus.

The beauty in Paloma’s writing translated perfectly to the stage. What might seem difficult to capture into imagery was no match for Paloma’s creative artistry. One of the latest up-and-coming voices in the feminist movement, she made her stance clear with "Pyrrhus (you go where I cannot)." She took the perspective of the legendary Greek warrior, Pyrrhus, and retold it through his mother’s point of view. Paloma examined toxic masculinity through this lens.

She ended the show with one encore song: none other than "labour." The song, which originally went viral on TikTok, described the unpaid domestic labor women have done throughout history. Clearly the loudest song of the night, First Ave was filled with the sounds of girls and women unleashing their authentic voices.

Paloma’s show didn’t end once she left the stage. No, at a Paris Paloma show they do something different. Appropriately dubbed “fairy dancing,” the fans create a moss pit. Think mosh pit without all the smashing into each other. The fairy dancing can best be described as frolicking, skipping, dancing, and twirling around one another. In that moment, it didn’t matter if the person standing next to them was a stranger; everyone was smiling and living in the moment before stepping out into the brisk Minneapolis night.