Meet Me @ The Altar Brings Grit and Wit to the Worried Sick Tour in Connecticut
- Alder Boutin
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
I was first introduced to Meet Me @ The Altar at a live show, and the very same bright enthusiasm and bold vocals that got me hooked in 2022 have grown even more polished since. The band projected an air of unfettered freedom at their February 1 show in Hamden, Connecticut, as though a weight long carried was lifting away past the ceiling of Space Ballroom. Singer Edith Victoria flowed from emphatic gestures to animated hair flips, while drummer Ada Juarez grinned unabashedly as she marched through intricate fills. Touring bassist Kaylie Sang and guitarist Emmy Barone added their own vibrant echoes, headbanging their way into every chorus. Before the show, Edith and Ada reflected with me on the gratifying nostalgia of performing as part of this fuller lineup and more.
The Worried Sick Tour spotlights not only its namesake EP, but also many of Meet Me @ The Altar’s early heavier releases. This conscious design, reflective of the band’s most authentic artistry, forms a soundtrack for anyone facing underrepresentation in the mainstream or sharp changes to close bonds – and needing an outlet to radically feel their exasperation. “I don’t think anger is an emotion we should be shameful about. I think we should talk about it,” Edith maintained before “Karma.”
Introducing fan favorite “Brighter Days (Are Before Us),” Edith thanked the crowd for being part of the band’s new chapter. “We don’t always add this to the setlist,” she explained, “but so many people have been requesting it, so we did tonight.” “Mapped Out,” another track from their 2021 EP Model Citizen, has seen a more permanent return to the Worried Sick Tour’s setlist. During powerhouse feminist staple “Hit Like A Girl,” Edith encouraged all of the ladies in the audience to mosh their hearts out in the “girl pit,” which instantly became a whirlwind of delighted laughter. This tour’s cover medley also leaned into punk influences, blending snippets of Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness,” New Found Glory’s “My Friends Over You,” and Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” with crispy guitar, overflowing drums, and punchy hooks.
It wouldn’t be a Meet Me @ The Altar show without a healthy sprinkle of stage banter. Ada conducted a lighthearted analysis of Edith’s two custom microphones: one neon green to match her hair, and the other bedazzled with silver gems. With comedic timing that had the audience in stitches, Edith recalled a bout of misfortune that had followed the 2022 Taco Bell commercial featuring “Say It (To My Face).” While the band had cherished the free meals included in the sponsorship, one glaring detail had made this perk rather difficult to obtain: their tour van couldn’t fit through Taco Bell drive-thru lines.
When alt-rock band Pollyanna kicked off the night, they easily matched Meet Me @ The Altar’s high energy. Daniel McCool drummed with such fervor that he rose up from his stool at particularly rowdy moments. Audience participation was as much a hallmark of Pollyanna’s set as was singer Jill Beckett’s colorful eye makeup. During the breakdown in “Mars,” Jill ran through the crowd as it zipped together behind them. Audience members were also invited to share shameless stories before “Petty” and participate in a call and response to the chorus of “Grave Digger.” In keeping with the leftist politics embedded into their music, Jill called to “keep ICE out of Connecticut!” before leaving the stage.
“I wish we could tour with them forever,” remarked Ada of Pollyanna. While the Worried Sick Tour is coming to an end, you can still catch Meet Me @ The Altar at their rescheduled Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC shows in March.
