Charlotte Sands Plays First Headline Show in Pittsburgh (Recap)
Words by Hannah Kozak / Photos by Sara Hagens
Check out the full gallery from the show
Charlotte Sands moved to Nashville at only 18 years old with the intent to take a gap year before attending Berklee College of Music in her home state of Massachusetts. The singer never returned north, and it worked out well for her. Sands embarked on her first U.S. headlining tour through September and October 2022. We were able to attend Sands’ show in Pittsburgh, PA on October 19th and were blown away.
Sands played an intimate show to (most likely) no more than 150 people at Thunderbird Music Hall. However, don’t let the small crowd fool you. The Pittsburgh date may not have been as big as other shows in larger cities, but Sands certainly had her die-hard, long-term fans supporting her. She opened the show with her newest single, “Tantrum,” and the crowd immediately started singing. Sands came out strong and grateful; everyone could tell she was thrilled to be playing her music.
The set consisted of mostly upbeat songs with a pop rock/pop alternative feel (the signature Charlotte Sands sound), and she played songs both new and old. There was a part of the set where Sands sat and played a few songs acoustically/stripped down, including an unreleased song. She shared an incredibly vulnerable story before the unreleased song about how she was feeling lost and unsure when the world went into lockdown in March 2020. She noted that she and her close friend, who was drumming for her on the current tour, wrote the song when Sands was supposed to get on a flight back to her family. It was scary, but she was ultimately happy she wrote the song and got her feelings out.
Along with her vulnerability on stage, Sands’ stage presence is truly incredible. She moved around the entire time and had unbelievable energy. Sands also sounded amazing vocally the entire show; she did not miss a note or miss a beat the entire hour-long set. The stage at Thunderbird Music Hall is more circular shaped at the edges than squared, and there is no barricade. Sands made a strong point to get close to the first row, interact with her fans, look everyone in the eyes, and spend equal amounts of time on stage left, stage right, and center stage. That kind of movement, energy, and commitment is hard, and Sands deserves to be highly praised for her work and artistry.
Sands ended the night with “Dress.” This is one of her most popular songs; it was first teased in November 2020 and written in response to Harry Styles’ Vogue cover where he is pictured wearing a blue dress. The song practically became an overnight success and went viral. The live version of the song was nothing short of energetic and lively. What was surprising about the live version of “Dress” specifically was Sands’ adaptation to make it heavier than the studio version. Sands and her band added a rock breakdown after the bridge with a distorted guitar solo and crash cymbals galore. It was a perfect ending to a fantastic set.
One thing I would have loved to see from Sands was a more female focused tour. I think Sands was the only female performer on the tour. The two openers were great and helped get the crowd excited for Sands, but I think taking the extra step to include more women on her tour would have taken an A show to an A+ show. Sands seems like she understands and values the importance of visibility in the industry, and I hope to see more of that from her throughout her career.
Sands is nonetheless a rockstar performer that truly is only getting started. She has already been on tours with The Maine and Yungblood and played monumental festivals such as Riot Fest, Boston Calling, and Bonnaroo. Sands will be playing arenas one day given her talent; don’t underestimate this incredible blue-haired girl.
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