Neriah at Petit Campus: “How an Intimate Venue can Turn into a Living-Room Sing-Along with Your Favorite Artist .”

Sunday, March 2nd offered Montreal’s Petit Campus a break from their usual shoulder-to-shoulder, hectic crowd. LA-born singer Neriah stopped into the venue while on her first-ever headline tour, The Unfinished Business Tour, and was met by an intimate gathering of fans. 

The 25-year-old pop singer-songwriter supported Madison Beer on the West Coast portion of her Spinnin Tour last year and has since been on a speedy trajectory. The young star has been recognized by some of her acclaimed inspirations in the industry, such as SZA and Ashe. With the release of 3 complete studio albums and a basket full of singles, Neriah has grown a loyal following over the last four years, a handful of which attended her March 2nd show. 

At first glance, the venue’s emptiness emits an unsettling quiet. It was almost as if there was an unspoken understanding that yes, on this frigid, Sunday evening, there was a lack of brave soldiers who’d make it to the performance. It was unfortunate that the setting had not filled up to its potential, however, the intimacy of this event gave fans a truly personal musical experience.  

Jordyn Sugar, a 21-year-old Torontonian artist, opened the show with what she describes as her “empowered pop” style. Audience members swayed along to Sugars’ performance however there was a clear lack of connection listeners held to her sound. While unfamiliarity often sparks newfound musical interests, Sugars’ set unfortunately did not spark such engrossment. The singer played her original music which held a more youthful tone in comparison to the later maturity of Neriah’s set. By such standards, Sugars’ songs were not suitable for the age group of the audience and therefore dwindled the energy of audience reception.   

Thankfully, it was not long before the star of the night opened her set with the album How Do I Get Clean’s opening track, “Unfinished Business”. Listeners were immediately giddy with excitement as energy rose, lights flickered and Neriah’s vocals stunned. With charismatic charm, the singer introduced herself to the tightly-knit scene and slowly, the venue began to feel plentiful. During her hit, “rbf”, standing for, “Resting B**ch Face”, fans pushed against the stage, screaming into the singer's Microphone as she graciously held it towards them. After the song ended, Neriah commented, “You’d think there’s 500 people in here!”

The pop vocalists’ performance of her 2024 single, “Driving Weather”, sparked a unity of energetic dance moves. The beauty of the set came from the diversity in the crowd: composed of a few middle-aged folks and starstruck fan-girls, both banded together to show off their dance moves. In her sparkly high-heeled boots, Neriah reached all sides of the stage, twirling around and effortlessly belted the tracks’ catchy chorus. 

The singer sparked an eruption of hoots and hollers as she played an unreleased song, “Neapolitan Complex”. The singer introduced the track as one she’d written about a past partner, and began to showcase her vocal range with its first verse. Comically, less than a minute after starting the song, Neriah abruptly cut herself off as she realized a fan was screaming the lyrics that were supposedly unpublished, back at her.

This wasn't the only surprise Neriah received from the audience on Sunday evening. The fan-projects for the quaint event were endless. Her avid supporters, which Neriah has named The Noodles, creatively expressed their admiration during the show. From a dozen little red paper flags being raised high as the singer performed her hit “Red Flags”, to pastel-coloured balloons thrown at the singer mid-set, there was a clear connection between the stage and floor. These thoughtful acts truly illuminated the fact that those in the room who had attended the show were some of the singers’ most dedicated followers. As Neriah crouched down to sing to her audience near and dearly, the common hierarchy between artist and fan was eradicated. 
Had it been a busy Friday night, those who trekked through the snowy side streets surrounding Petit Campus would have not been blessed with their private concert with Neriah. You know what they say, quality over quantity when it comes to friends!