Ruel throws down the “4TH WALL” in an incredible Boston performance

On June 14th, the city of Boston welcomed 20-year-old Australian performer Ruel into its very own Paradise Rock Club as the 9th stop of the North American leg of his 4TH WALL WORLD TOUR. The rising star released his debut album “4TH WALL,” earlier this year, adding it to his impressive discography consisting of three EP’s and singles alongside artists such as JVKE and Omar Apollo. With the announcement of the tour, it was revealed that there would be two shows in Boston on the same day, one at 2 p.m. and another only a few hours later at 7 p.m..

 Fans, including myself, lined up outside the venue for hours, eagerly awaiting their respective shows to come. A friend and I had gotten tickets for the 7 p.m. show, and arrived at 2 p.m., just as those who would be attending the earlier show were being escorted into the venue. When our time had come, we hurried inside and soon enough, the show began. After the excellent opener, Carlie Hanson performed songs off her own album, “Wisconsin,” the lights began to dim. As Ruel’s band came on stage, an introduction played reinforcing the themes of the album and describing Ruel as a wanted escapee on the run from “the 4th wall authorities.” the reactions to his physical descriptions – including announcing his height of 6 feet and 5 inches – made for hilarious moments among the crowd themselves. This introduction alone signaled to the audience that this show would be different from any other concerts they’d been to before. 

Blue and yellow lights flashed as the beginning notes of the album’s opener, “GO ON WITHOUT ME,” blared. The crowd erupted into screams as the long awaited artist entered the stage. The moment he began singing , the microphone and the voices of excited fans singing along rang throughout the room. He immediately followed with more upbeat favorites off the new album, keeping the mood and energy high. His leans into the crowd as he sang only encouraged fans to jump and sing even more. The close proximity gave the audience the sense that Ruel was singing to or with them, rather than singing at them, a strength he maintained throughout the entirety of the show. 

Older fans were taken back to their roots as Ruel sang songs from past EP’s, along with the less popularly performed, but still widely enjoyed “say it over,” which originally features the American singer Cautious Clay. He then took a small break to graciously thank Carlie Hanson for accompanying him on several shows of his tour, then brought her out to sing a beautiful duetted version of the relatable, anxious anthem “IF AND/OR WHEN.” After Carlie’s exit, Ruel stayed on the trend of slow songs, singing ballads of his own, along with a short cover of One Direction’s “Night Changes” that fulfilled many fan’s dreams of hearing the band’s music live while gifting them Ruel’s soft and majestic rendition of the song. 

Swiftly bringing the energy in the room back up, the artist transitioned from the gentle piano to the electric chords of “Flames,” an SG Lewis-produced track Ruel features on, and a fan favorite. He even brought out a bright red electric guitar, and performed an impressive guitar solo that called for loud screams from the ecstatic crowd. He then followed with “SOMEONE ELSE’S PROBLEM,” from 4TH WALL, dedicating it to that person in all of our lives we honestly want to tell to eff off. 

Going back to older favorites, Ruel gave us long-term fans a moment of sweet nostalgia. Hearing the songs we’ve been listening to for years performed live filled the audience with an inexplicable sense of euphoria. This feeling flowed into the final two songs of the night, including the long-awaited encore “I DON’T WANNA BE LIKE YOU,” which Ruel accompanied with an energetic performance to successfully close off the perfect night. 

Throughout the entirety of the concert, Ruel jumped and danced around the stage while encouraging fans to do the same. The close proximity as he leaned into the crowd created an intimate environment with emotions everyone could feel, even once they made their way back home. The nostalgia from hearing older songs mixed with the excitement of newer ones was enough to keep it my main topic of conversation for weeks after, and all time best concert I’ve experienced.