Rachel Platten Gets Personal at Neighborhood Theatre
Singer/songwriter marked beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month with new video
While NYC-based singer/songwriter, children’s author and model Rachel Platten has been open with the media about her struggles with mental health, including postpartum depression and anxiety, for her performance at Neighborhood Theatre on Monday night, she brought the audience along for the ride.
From motivational pop songs like her 2015 breakout hit “Fight Song” or the newer single “Bad Thoughts” to those that conveyed more of a personal story like “Girls” and “Mercy,” Platten doesn’t hesitate to shed light on her personal journey through not only her lyrics and but moments of storytelling between songs.
A quiet, seated audience hung on every word; they sang along at times, breathed together when prompted and stood in support of Platten even when they were seated.
Mostly performing at a piano and accompanied by drums and a cello, Platten’s vocals were front and center throughout the show, allowing the audience to clearly hear everything being sung and said.
Platten took some time off following the birth of her first daughter in 2019, cutting her 2020 tour short before COVID-19 had the chance to cut everybody else’s tours short. Struggling with mental health issues again following the birth of her second child in 2021 meant a long break from music for Patten, who last September released her first album in seven years.
“I really had goals to just keep going and not let motherhood affect me or impact my career,” she told Yahoo! Entertainment. “And so it just took time to heal both emotionally and physically … So not only was there the pandemic to contend with, I was also facing my own personal demons.”
Earlier this month, she partnered with the Mental Health Coalition and Kenneth Cole to drop a new video for her song “Bad Thoughts” in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Monday night’s performance in Charlotte showed she’s back and as strong as ever. Her Set Me Free tour wraps up later this week in Orlando.
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
