California native Cam brought her "Other Side" Tour to the Regent in Los Angeles Friday night (August 5th) for a post-pandemic show that was celebratory and cathartic.
Before the music even started, Cam reminded the crowd (with a sensitivity that was both compassionate and direct at the same time) that, "If you need to cry, it's okay to cry, and if you need to dance, it's okay to dance," and throughout the evening, virtually all audience members did both, while at the same time, hanging on to every word that came through the microphone.
She eased into her set with several songs from her latest album The Other Side, pausing to explain how a couple songs were inspired by things her husband had said, that she hadn't given him songwriting credit for. "That's a marriage," she quipped.
She noted that "Village," which closes out her major-label debut album Untamed, has taken on a new meaning for some in the post-Covid world, and shared that it was inspired by the untimely death of a close friend's older brother. There were more tears with "Burning House," and the explanation that it was inspired by a dream born out of the guilt of having broken up with someone in what was maybe not the most noble way. She added that a therapist (while interpreting a similar dream for someone else) had come to the conclusion that, "Whatever happened, it's not yours to fix."
The dancing came with Cam's cover of Patti Smith's "Because the Night" and "Diane" (Cam's response to Dolly Parton's "Jolene").
Another highlight was the cover of Sam Smith's "Palace," for which she brought out the extraordinary Jake Wesley Rogers to sing with her for an intimate, breathtaking moment.
Much like Cam, one gets the impression that opener Jillian Jacqueline is committed to making music on her own terms. Although her remarks on stage would lead one to believe that she wants us to think of her as the awkward one amongst her group of friends, her poise and confidence is undeniable, and she does indeed, have a knack for making "even happy songs sound sad," as she noted with a laugh. Armed with just a guitar, a mic, and the stories captured in her two debut EPs and full-length album Honestly, Jillian's talent easily won over the crowd.
Setlist:
Cam:
1. Redwood Tree
2. Forgetting You
3. Classic
4. Mayday
5. Changes
6. What Goodbye Means
7. Like a Movie
8. Village
9. Half Broke Heart
10. Slow Down
11. Palace (with Jake Wesley Rogers)
12. The Other Side
13. Diane
14. Because the Night (Patti Smith cover)
15. 'Til There's Nothing Left
16. Burning House
17. Girl Like Me
Cam on "The Other Side" Tour at the Regent with K-Frog
Jillian Jacqueline
1. Medley:
2. The Ocean
3. Hurt Somebody Else
4. Tragic
5. Compliment
6. Better with a Broken Heart
7. God Bless This Mess
Kristyn Hayashi / Audacy
