Who Carries the Show?

Cowboy Carter Tour in Paris. Image: courtesy of the writer

The lights finally dim and you know it is starting. This is the moment you have been waiting for, for a very long time. Then the artist you have wanted to see walks out, and the excitement goes through the roof. People are dancing and singing, someone next to you is still in disbelief, someone else is crying from pure joy. When it is over, you walk out thinking those two and a half hours were the best thing you have ever experienced.

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That is what a concert is all about: the music, the visuals and the people who share the night with you. I have been lucky enough to have more than a few of these nights. This summer, at a festival I wait for all year, I caught myself looking at the shows in a more logical way than before, when I only took in what I was hearing and seeing.

Katy Perry's performance on Out of Office Tour 2026. Image: courtesy of the writer

The first headliner was Katy Perry, who raised multiple generations with her sound. She had genuinely everything: costume changes, props, dancers, vocals and constant interaction with the crowd. One of her costumes was even raffled for charity.

Fans could donate any amount, or nothing, for a chance to win it, and the money went to the Firework Foundation, which helps children from underserved communities get access to the arts. At one point she crowd surfed inside an inflatable water bottle. Everyone left processing how much had happened in two hours.

Katy Perry's performing Hot n Cold. Image: courtesy of the writer

On the second night, Esdeekid opened and Lewis Capaldi headlined. Any sane person would have called that lineup a mistake, but it worked. Esdeekid had scaffolding on stage and kept running up and down it. He looked like a kid on a playground and we were the parents filming him, though all of us wanted to be up there with him.

Esdeekid's performance. Image: courtesy of the writer

Lewis came out with a spotlight following him, a band around him, a guitar, a full black outfit and long blond hair that stuck to his forehead as the set went on. He moved to the piano once or twice and joked with the crowd, then switched the mood completely and played one of the saddest songs ever. People just looked at him in awe.

Lewis Capaldi's performance. Image: courtesy of the writer

As the crowd split up, I kept hearing one sentence: “Lewis was everything Katy Perry wanted to be.” That left me stuck. If she had everything needed to make a show memorable, why did we feel slightly disappointed? Why did something seem missing when, logically, nothing was?

Shawn Mendes performing live. Image: courtesy of the writer

Shawn Mendes had a very similar setup: one guitar, one band, spotlights, a black outfit and amazing vocals. He did not need anything more, and it came together perfectly.

Beyoncé performing Tyrant while riding a mechanical gold bull. Image: courtesy of the writer

Doing more does not go unnoticed either. Beyoncé has been changing the game since her 2003 debut Dangerously in Love, and she shows that effort gets rewarded. She has robots dancing and pouring her drinks, mechanical gold bulls, many costume changes in one night and even her daughter as a dancer. If anyone knows how to make concerts, it is Beyoncé.

Miley Cyrus joins Beyoncé on stage as a surprise guest during the Cowboy Carter tour.  Image: courtesy of the writer

So why do we sometimes feel less with more, and the other way around? Some people say it is personal taste, and that is valid. You can love Esdeekid and not care for Katy or Lewis, and nobody can argue with what your soul enjoys.

Others point to a gender double standard. Women performers are often expected to be polished, to combine music with visual spectacle and to keep reinventing themselves. Male performers are usually allowed to rely on musical presence and authenticity.

Age plays a part too: women are judged more on their looks, while men get more visual continuity. These expectations shape how we react. Someone can leave Lewis’s or Shawn’s set disappointed by the simple stage, and someone else can find Katy’s or Beyoncé’s spectacle distracting from the music.

Shawn Mendes performing live. Image: courtesy of the writer

David Hume wrote that “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.” I think that fits this debate well. Someone who looks for visuals is no better than someone who looks for authenticity. It is up to the artist to express themselves and up to us to take it in or not.

Trying to find one metric for art is overwhelming, and it pulls attention away from what matters. Whether Katy had five costume changes or Lewis played several instruments does not matter much in the end. If you felt excited, joyful and grateful to be there with other fans, it was a good night.

A good artist makes you feel like you are up there with them, and a good crowd makes the artist wish they were in the audience. Still, I left some concerts amazed and a little tired on the performer’s behalf, and I did not feel that way about everyone. So next time you are in a crowd, ask yourself who is carrying the show, and who gets to just play.

Written by E.S

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