The packed room at Delmar Hall in St. Louis this Saturday night was bursting with love and adoration flowing between the crowd and each performer throughout the three-plus-hour concert.
While the avid, sweet mostly Gen Z crowd was there for headliner Spencer Sutherland on his Drama Tour to support his October 2024 The Drama album release, many were also there supporting the first opener, Cloe Wilder, who performed in St. Louis the last time Sutherland came through town in April of 2023.
And good golly, those fans have good taste. Adorned in a stunning full-length prom-like frock and sequined silver boots, the now 19-year-old poised and polished Wilder, who hails from Clearwater, Florida, is worth a listen. Her 35-minute set consisted of her beautiful, bare-bones, earthy, easy sound found on “House By The Water” that shows hints of Bon Iver while other songs such as “Fake ID” are a bit more breezy. “Homesick” is a dreamy, thoughtful song that’s perfect for listening to when you’re wrapped up in a cozy blanket. Wilder stated she was “Truly happy to be back in St. Louis. I’m not just saying that. The last time I was here was so special.”
Next up was solo singer/songwriter Stacey Ryan. Originally from Montreal, the 24-year-old now lives in L.A. Ryan gave a powerful 30-minute performance with only her playing guitar or keys to support her vocals. With a background in jazz interpretation, songs such as “Bad for Me” have a bop/pop feel with vocals that harken back to the Blue Note era. Her newest single, released March 7, “Everything Everything,” which she said she hadn’t performed out before, is a languid, dreamy, sad song about Island Records breaking up with her.
Spencer Sutherland, the 32-year-old originally from a Columbus, Ohio suburb, has all the charm and swagger one wants in a performer on stage. With a glossy/satin, beaded ensemble resembling something out of the ’70s that showed off his buff biceps, Sutherland played to the mainly XX chromosome crowd, more so than any other artist this concert photographer has seen in a long, long time, and fans swooned.
“I will never not come back to St. Louis,” was only one of the many comments and interactions Sutherland had during his 90-minute set. He took time to connect with fans and, at one point, joked about how the show would go on until 3 a.m. if he kept talking with everyone. He paused and shared a heartfelt message about how everyone in the crowd is “The reason we can do this. You have so much power [as fans]. I love you.”
Part of his charm includes a wide smile and knowing where he is. Tossing in that he’d move to the Delmar Loop or changing some of the lyrics in “Melanie” to include a line about St. Louis, taking phones, reading fan’s signs out loud such as “Elvis Presley Kissed His Fans” which he promptly kissed a fan’s hand and broke into a partial cover of “Heartbreak Hotel,” including hip swivels, after saying “You know I’ma huge fan [of Elvis], riffing, and truly connecting.
But what about his songs? Many of the night’s set included songs from his recent The Drama album which have deviated from his previous pop sounds to a grittier, anthemic, glam-rock such as “Alive,” “Motherfucker,” and the jovial “God Save the Dream.” “Everybody” has a Queen feel to it (he later covered “Don’t Stop Me Now”), as does the fun, kitschy “Drama.”
All in all, “At the end of the night, I’ve gotta admit,” Sutherland puts on one heck of a concert, and those at the sold-out event were treated to a consummate showman strutting his stuff and singing his heart out while also ensuring everyone knew how important they are.
More photos https://bit.ly/SSutherland25cz
Spencer Sutherland setlist https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/spencer-sutherland/2025/delmar-hall-st-louis-mo-2358b4bb.html
Cloe Wilder setlist https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/cloe-wilder/2025/delmar-hall-st-louis-mo-3b58b424.html
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
