Chelsea Cutler made 15-year-old me very happy this past weekend

Photo: Campbell Parish

By Campbell Parish, Magazine Editor & Operations Managing Editor

15-year-old-me was singing about heartbreak and falling in love before I even had my first kiss. I was blasting Chelsea Cutler’s music ever since her first single “Your Shirt” came out in 2017.

Needless to say, I have been a fan since the very beginning, and this weekend, I had the privilege of being a part of her biggest headlining show. I saw her in Boston both nights, and I know for a fact younger me would be shitting my pants if she knew. 

Cutler played at Roadrunner, a new concert venue in Boston, where a crowd of 3,500 fans screamed her music from the top of their lungs. It was a beautiful reminder that music brings people together, even during the chaotic world we live in. Thousands came together all for the same reason: to see Cutler perform. 

One of the many reasons I enjoy her music so much is because she perfectly encapsulates what it is like to be in your 20s. She has a gift of putting complex feelings into a four-minute song, and although 15 year-old-me didn’t know what it was like to fall in love and to experience heartbreak, she did know that her music spoke to her in some capacity.  

If you have never listened to her music, you need to change that. 

The east coast native graduated from Amherst College, and throughout the show, she shared how Boston feels like a second home to her. Although she is based in New York City, she shares a deep love for the beautiful city of Boston, which was evident by the way she performed. 

Cutler shared via Instagram story, “There was something special in the air tonight Boston. The energy in that room was beyond words. I’ve never felt more supported and more connected.” 

When I found out she would be touring, I set reminders to make sure I could secure a spot. Needless to say, when tickets for this show went on sale in November and I was hunched over my computer trying to purchase tickets and praying to the good lord that I could meet her—I got to. 

Cutler is one of the sweetest artists that I have ever met. You can tell how passionate she is about what she does and how she wants to genuinely connect with her fans. 

Going to this concert was a full-circle moment. I listened to her first single in the room I shared with my sister, in a small town in New Hampshire. There I would daydream of what I would be like when I was older, where I would go to school, or what I would be doing. 

Here I am in Boston in my 20s, living the life I daydreamed about in 2017. Still listening to the same music that talks about living in a city, falling in love, and being brutally honest about what life is like. 

One thing never changed throughout all of those years: my love for Cutler and her music. 

Here is my ode to Cutler: I can promise you that I will be at many more shows that you play in Boston in the future. You are one of few artists that I would buy back-to-back tickets for. Thank you for your music, thank you for everything.

Photo: Campbell Parish.