Claire Rosinkranz and Aidan Bisset Live At The Roxy

I’m not gonna lie, I was not looking forward to this show. I mean, don’t misunderstand me, I love Claire’s music. If the concert had occurred any other day, I would be excited beyond belief. However, this particular concert came just hours after my last final. I was physically and emotionally drained and the idea of being surrounded by strangers with music blasting in my ear just exhausted me all the more. Thanks to Claire Rosinkranz, Aidan Bisset, and their loving fans, that exhaustion didn’t stick.

I arrived at The Roxy in Hollywood just before opener Aidan Bisset could start his performance. The club was filled with young girls dressed their absolute best, buzzing with excitement. Even at the ripe age of 21, I felt old. Usually, that would have been a bad thing, but looking at the giddy joy on the faces of all the teen girls that surrounded me honestly warmed my heart. I remember being in high school, begging my parents to let me go to a show, planning my outfit weeks in advance, and treating each concert as a gift like each show was guaranteed to be the best night of my life. (I’d been going to so many shows for work lately that I’d almost forgotten that feeling that only concerts give.)

During Bisset’s set, I kept watching the girls around me, letting myself be influenced by their child-like wonder. Looking through their eyes, this Urban Outfitters-wearing typical indie-dude transformed into a rockstar. His choruses hit harder, the chords felt more rich and euphoric.

Funny enough, after Bisset’s set, I ran into a ton of old friends from high school. It turned out that Claire had actually come from my hometown and we shared several mutual friends. Seeing all these people I loved together erased any remaining exhaustion or hesitation I had. I was fully invested from that point on.

When Claire finally floated onto the stage, I was immediately dazzled by her smile. She had such a cool confidence about her that just welcomed us in. She didn’t feel like an elusive performer. The warmth of her presence made it seem like she wanted to know that she was here for us. She wanted us to know that she was our friend.

It was also heartwarming seeing that her father was going to join her on stage as the bassist in her backing band. Fun fact, Claire’s father, Ragnar Rosinkranz, helped produce all of her songs. I noticed that her entire family, grandparents and little siblings included, had come to see her. It was a true family affair, adding to the welcoming, communal feel of the evening.

Claire’s voice only added to the allure of the evening. She had such a sweet, princessy tone that just completely melted my heart and the audience’s. But, despite the innocence of her voice, this girl had fire. She sang of heartbreak and betrayal with such power and passion. You could see the retribution in her eyes as she heard every girl in the audience scream her lyrics back at her, healing through their shared pain.

Claire’s feisty side also came out through her surprisingly alt-rock-esq vocal flair. She would occasionally throw in the scoops and runs that reminded me of the mid-2000s alt-rock bands from back in the day. These little flairs came out most prominently during her cover of The Romantics’ “What I Like About You.” Claire managed to capture the spunk of the song while still maintaining her sweet personality and unique sound.

Claire closed out her set with her two biggest hits: “Frankenstein” and “Backyard Boy.” I remember when Claire started posting snippets of “Backyard Boy” back during quarantine, the song was an instant earworm. Day after day, I would dance along in my parents’ room, overwhelmed by the joyful nostalgia of teen love. I was immediately taken back to those moments as Claire sang. It was a moment of freedom and simple delight completely free of the stress and exhaustion that was overwhelming me just hours before.