Katelyn Tarver’s Emotional Show in Los Angeles, CA
Katelyn Tarver is having a busy year. Between the release of her third full-length album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, and an upcoming Netflix series alongside Will Ferrell, the singer-songwriter’s latest record documents a deeply personal period of transition. Written in the aftermath of divorcing her partner of 11 years, the album reflects both heartbreak and the difficult self-discovery that followed.
That emotional openness carried into her performance at the Echoplex on a warm spring night in Los Angeles. When the venue opened its doors at 7:00pm, the last bit of sunlight was still spilling across Sunset Boulevard as fans filtered inside.
A cluster of younger fans gathered near the barricade early to catch opener Rosie. Despite having more than 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, I wasn’t familiar with her music before today. For a native New Yorker, there was a surprising twang coming through the speakers, some of her songs leaning more heavily into the indie-folk genre. Even though the crowd was still filling out, her admirers were vocal in their support, singing along and dancing through the whole set.
Though she is well known for her work in television, Katelyn Tarver has had an extensive career in music, releasing her first song in 2005. Perhaps it is her experience in front of the camera that has endowed her with such an undeniable stage presence. While some artists possess a quiet strength, Tarver is anything but understated. “Losing,” the opening track from her new album, is a slow burn that steadily builds over the course of its two-minute runtime. Live, however, the song ratchets the drama up to eleven. She performs as if she has been holding back a year's worth of emotions and the levees are finally about to burst. The physicality of her performance communicates every ounce of pain, confusion, frustration, and exhilaration that informed the record.
That emotional intensity runs throughout the show. It was evident that a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of this album. Between songs, faux voicemail messages played over the PA from concerned friends, family members, and (ex) lovers, helping to paint a picture of her state of mind during the creative process.
Though heartbreak is a persistent theme throughout the record, Tarver looked like she was having the time of her life sharing these songs with the crowd. Longtime fans were treated to a particularly deep cut in the form of “Weekend Millionaires,” while one of the evening's highlights was an inspired mash-up of “IDGAF” and Big Sean's “I Don't Fuck With You.” It sounds unconventional on paper, but it worked brilliantly.
The lyrics to “Trust Myself” provided a fitting conclusion to the night: “Look the world didn’t end, the sky didn’t fall, and everything’s fine. Still, got all my friends, I still got you, I didn’t die. Made it to the other side, I didn’t need anyone else. Look, I can trust myself.” They're the kind of words anyone can hold onto when navigating a difficult chapter in life.
Over the course of the evening, Tarver turned some of the most painful moments of her past year into a source of connection and catharsis. By the time she left the stage, it was clear that Tell Me How You Really Feel is more than a breakup album, it’s a testament to what can happen when you're willing to rebuild yourself from the ground up.
Set List:
Losing
No Matter What
So Am I
Strange Weather
Starting to Scare Me
Nicer
Don’t Eat Pray Love
Double Edged Sword
The Price
Japanese Cafe
Weekend Millionaires
You Don’t Know
Right For Me
IDGAF / I Don’t Fuck With You
#1
$82 at Erewhon
Covell
Trust Myself
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