Mallorie Munoz
Managing Editor
@munoz_mallorie
DALLAS- “So Dallas, you think you know what I am about to do?” Ashley Frangipane, who goes by Halsey, said.
This was not the Dallas crowd’s first rodeo. Many devoted fans who had memorized the setlist and performance were seen during Thursday’s show at South Side Ballroom. Before Halsey had begun, whispers circulated the crowd suggesting that “Gasoline” would be the opening song.
And indeed it was. The night went on like this with fans anticipating the next part of the show, and Halsey never once disappointing. All but two tracks off of her recent release “Badlands,” were performed, and fans knew every word to every song.
The performance itself was nothing spectacular. As a one-woman act, there is so much stage to cover and only one body to do so. With a few simple dance moves here and there and no more than two minutes spent performing being held up by the crowd during “Roman Holiday”, that is about as exciting as it got stage-wise.
That being said, there were a few redeeming qualities about her stage presence. The light show was captivating, and so were the brief interludes played by her band and DJ. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the show were the 100 dollar “Badlands bills” shot out of a canon like confetti while singing “New Americana”. The bills featured Halsey’s face in retro colors, and fans scrambled to pick them up as if they were real U.S. dollars.
The vocals, on the other hand, are what made the show the best concert I have ever been to. Hearing tracks I listen to through my car speakers sound almost identical in person was incredible. It is common for artists to not sound quite as touched up as their albums do, but for Halsey, this was not a problem.
Halsey has a sultry, alluring voice that you never want to stop singing, but alas, after only an hour and 10 minutes of performing, the show was over. The deluxe version of “Badlands” is only 55 minutes, so the short-lived act was understandable.
An encore song was performed of course, and once again, fans knew what to expect. Word of “Young God” being the encore song traveled through the crowd. Halsey came back on stage and played “Young God” and then wished Dallas farewell.
Despite the brevity, fans remained at the foot of the stage begging band members and security guards for setlists and even a water bottle that Halsey allegedly drank out of. After about 15 minutes of this, guards began kicking out fans and closing the ballroom.
The stalling did not stop there. Once outside, a body of fans surrounded Halsey’s tour bus and a vehicle believed to seat Halsey inside.
Fans waited around until finally dismissed by security guards.
The show was brief and the performance was adequate, but the memory of the night will remain dreamy.
