1. My, how Miss Webster has grown. Two years ago, Faye Webster performed in the intimate confines of Virgin Hotels’ 24 Oxford, a 688-capacity venue. To say she’s graduated since then would be an understatement. At Brooklyn Bowl, the GA lines for Webster snaked up the LINQ Promenade, around the corner to Harrah’s. If we got there any later, we’d have a good sight line of Treasure Island. Webster had sold out a 3,000-capacity concert venue, packed to the gills on every floor, and the suggestions of that were clear: We were looking at a burning new star. And man, did she deliver.

2. The opener was a welcome surprise. As we journeyed up Brooklyn Bowl’s escalators, I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. The sounds of an in-your-face punk band filled the entry room, and at first it was unbelievable, but upon further inspection the source of the fast-paced and brutally energetic noise was coming from openers Upchuck. This was a refreshing appetizer to the dreamy and sway-inducing main event. The Atlanta-born quintet banded in 2018 and have since garnered a new generation of skate punker fans. Its onstage presence demands your attention, not only deriving its power from tight riffage and discordant melody but from vocalist KT, who creates a controlled chaos.

3. The aesthetics brought the show home. The theme of Webster’s latest album is a play on being underdressed for special occasions but her touring stage props are anything but denuded. At least 70% of the stage’s backdrop was a giant white tee shirt hanging on a giant blue hanger. The other 30% is made up of racks of blue hued jeans and tees and rows of industrial sized washers, repurposed to correspond with the show’s lighting. To add to the laundry day design, there were bubble machines that blew into the crowd, making us a part of Webster’s soapy world. But we have to give a special shout out to the minions—that’s right, Gru’s minions had a hand in hyping up the crowd for Faye’s entrance. “But Not Kiss” was sung in Minionese by a guitar strumming yellow guy in a sandy brown haired wig. The kids went wild for it.

4. Webster’s band synergy is otherworldly. As a performer, Webster has always been a woman of few words. Her stage banter’s light, but she’s fluent in the language of music. We’ve heard great sets before, but the instrumentation of Webster’s band blew us away. The way these guitarists made their notes weep and whine, the way keys flourished and percussion grew snappy, succeeded in putting the crowd in a swayful, altered state. The room was awash with warm, buttery tones, accentuated by Webster’s wispy, gentle delivery. Drenched in cold blue lights, Webster grooved through the jazzy constructs of “Kingston,” and a creamy sax solo in “Dream With a Baseball Player” took that style to another level. “In a Good Way’s” grand introduction of strings elicited deafening roars from start to finish. We were on an island of this singer’s making, bracing for new waves of instrumentation at every swell.

5. The crowd was a sight to see. Even if Webster isn’t on TikTok, her fans sure are and they brought their internet-born quirks to the show. Fashion wise, there was no shortage of oversized pants, Y2K chunky sandals, and ankle length skirts. The scent of the indie brand Glossier’s You perfume wafted the air as groups of teenage gals hurried by. But no matter the original source of discovery, the audience took it upon themselves to make this gig enjoyable for each other. There were moments of laughter, tears were shed and best of all they sang along to each of her songs in harmony.