Maddie Zahm’s endearing set pulled The Madrid together

May 22, 2024

Zoe Strohm,

Maddie Zahm at The Madrid Theatre on Friday, May 18, 2024. // Photo by Tori Collene

On Saturday night, Maddie Zahm’s Now That I’ve Been Honest tour made its stop at The Madrid, bringing songs about religious trauma, coming out, and self-acceptance. An hour before the show fans were lining up, ready to sing, dance, and cry. Doors opened at 7 p.m. and by 7:05 p.m., the barricade was packed, concertgoers ready for the show to come.

Opener Leanna Firestone took the stage at 8 p.m., greeting the crowd with a wave, an excited “Hi gay people,” and a smile that gained loud cheers and clapping from the audience. Firestone—who found fame on TikTok—had many fans within the crowd singing along to her first song of the set, “Smitten/Vulnerable.”

Between each song, Firestone explained what each song was about and how they came together, throwing in some witty humor and internet references.

Before a cover of “Casual” by Missouri native Chappell Roan, Firestone asked the crowd, “Have you ever been with someone you were in love with and it turned out they could care less if you lived or died?” She then dedicated the song to all of those who cheered.

Each song was performed solo with her guitar, giving a more personal and relaxed feeling to the opener. Before playing “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much,” Firestone asked the crowd to repeat the title phase while being performed, following with, “This is my first time playing in Kansas City, if you guys don’t do it, it will be my last. That is a threat.”

Shortly after, Firestone wrapped up her set and welcomed headliner Maddie Zahm to the stage, before making her way to the merch stand to meet fans, take pictures, and sign merch.

In between artists, I had the chance to meet some fans who were happy to tell me about their favorite songs and why they loved her music so much.

“I am not into any musicians specifically, where I know every song and everything put out, but Maddie Zahm is the first one that I love everything they do,” one fan says. “I just relate to everything she writes about.”

When Zahm took the stage with the band, she immediately jumped into “Blind Spot.” While the venue is not quite the largest music hall, it did not limit Zahm’s stage presence or talent. Even from the back of the room, it felt like she was singing directly to you.

Similarly to Firestone, Zahm gave anecdotes for each song. Before her song “Eightball Girl,” Zahm stated, “This is the first song I wrote about a girl. When I sent it to my family, I expected questions and speculation. They asked me if I was on coke!”

There is a fine line that separates a concert from being just a show to being an endearing performance of emotions—Zahm falls well within the endearing category. Her audience interactions come naturally, without feeling like forced humor or faux appreciation.

“I have a fun game I like to play with you guys and you have no idea. My fans tend to be really feeling the music, major hand movements, crying, and really feeling yourself. Then there are their partners next to them who have no idea who I am, just standing there, staring. I love to make really intense eye contact with those people,” Zahm says.

At one point, Zahm stopped her musical display to talk to fans who were holding up a sign, asking Zahm to officiate their wedding. She let them know she had tried to get ordained before, but the application process was deemed too boring.

“When is the wedding? I can get ordained by next week, shoot me an email,” Zahm says.

Midway through, the band left the stage for what Zahm called, “The acoustic time where I do whatever the hell I want.” Here, she played “imissu.,” “Dani,” “Lights on Kind of Lover,” and “Pick Up the Phone.”

When the band returned, she performed two new, unreleased songs, “Untitled” and “For the Record,” also hinting at a new album in the works.

Zahm’s most popular song “Fat Funny Friend” was the last song ahead of the encore. Before she began playing, she thanked her band—guitarist Jacob Galdes, drummer Alexa Shafer, bassist Harry West, and keyboardist Mirelle Cabangbang—then the Friday night Madrid audience.

“I bet you all heard this song on TikTok. This is the song most of you know me for, how we met,” Zahm says. “I would not be here without any of you, without you sharing, listening, and allowing me to find myself in my music and tell my story. For that I thank you.”

At encore, Zahm returned to the stage to perform her newest release “Little Me,” and came down from the stage to sing “You Might Not Like Her” in the middle of the crowd.

I was not incredibly familiar with all of Zahm’s music before the concert. As a casual listener, I knew her most popular songs that had blown up on TikTok, but just from the setlist, I could not say that there was not a single bad song that night. She has a way of bringing people together and being completely vulnerable through her music. From stories of realizing her sexuality, leaving the church she grew up in, falling in love, and experiencing heartbreak to learning to love the parts of you that you’ve been taught to hate, there is something that every single person can relate to.

All Photos by Tori Collene: