On March 26, I had the pleasure of attending Rachel Platten’s “Set Me Free” tour stop at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. I went into the show fairly blind — of course, I’ve heard Platten’s 2015 hit “Fight Song” more times than I can count — but I hadn’t heard much from the 43-year-old singer-songwriter since. 

Walking into the venue, I was immediately overtaken by a sense of coziness: the room was small and dark, adorned with yellowish candles and tables. Unfortunately, I missed Ben Abraham’s opening set, but the room seemed to be coming down from the excitement of the Australian folk singer’s performance, buzzing for what was to come. When the lights dimmed and Platten took the stage, the venue erupted into applause.

This era of Platten’s career is all about reclaiming her power. The singer has long struggled with her mental health, and many of the songs from her newest album — aptly named “I Am Rachel Platten” —  focus on empowering herself and others to get through their darkest moments. 

Despite this being her first North American headline tour in nine years, Platten picked up without missing a beat. Her performance was calm yet dynamic, switching from sitting at the piano to standing and playing the electric guitar to a spirited dance break. Though I didn’t know the songs she was singing, I found myself swaying and humming along on several occasions. I even added a few to my playlist afterwards, including “Mercy” and “Surrendering.”

Despite her set being fairly calm, Platten’s stage presence was unparalleled — she has a way of speaking to her fans as though they’ve known each other for years. Seriously impressive vocal showings were broken up by stories about the songwriting process, jokes between the artist and the crowd and heartwarming asides about the importance of surrounding yourself with a strong support system. I can see why Platten has such a mighty fanbase: concertgoers got the chance to dance with the singer, show her the merch they purchased that night and share stories of walking down the aisle to “Better Place.”

I felt I got to know Platten very well in the time she was on stage. She was extremely vulnerable about what it means to be an artist, and from my outside perspective, it was clear this project was incredibly meaningful to her, regardless of which of her songs has the most streams on Spotify. 

There were multiple moments where I felt I could see her reliving the cathartic moments that inspired the making of “I Am Rachel Platten.” From the audience’s teary eyes and loud singing along, it’s evident she wasn’t alone.

My favorite song of the night was by far, “Surrendering,” which Platten performed towards the end of the set, sitting on the corner of the small stage and accompanied by Abraham. As indicated by the title, the track is about feeling so in over your head that you have no choice but to yield your problems to a higher power. While some might view this notion as defeatist, I see it as the opposite: sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is accept that you have no control over what happens and be okay with that. “I’m giving in / Let me lose, let me win / I’m surrendering,” the chorus says. These lyrics, mixed with Platten’s beautiful airy register, made for an emotional end to an amazing evening.

The night felt like a true group endeavor. At one point, Platten invited one of the soundmen to take the stage with her band and play the keyboard — a skill he had apparently been hiding from fellow crewmates. The crowd welcomed him just as they had the headliner herself, and the support didn’t stop there. The last part of the show was similarly heartwarming, as Platten invited her two guest musicians to the stage, along with the crew members making the show possible behind the scenes. Together, they all sang in a circle, each one stunning with their unassuming vocal prowess.

After an electric “Fight Song” encore, Platten ended her show with a shoutout bringing awareness to mental health resources — a fitting aside, given the sometimes heavy topics in her music.
The Set Me Free tour marks only the second time I’ve attended a concert alone, and I left feeling refreshed. There’s something special about an artist with the power to draw in (and keep) audiences that don’t know their music, and Rachel Platten was able to do just that.