There are a few hallmarks of every concert: the colorful costumes of the crowd; the blaring bass from the speakers; the sense of heat, sweat, and energy hanging in the air as everyone waits for the performer to finally appear. For Ashe‘s recent, intimate Webster Hall show, all the above reigned true. But there was something else underneath the glittery pink cowboy hats and hazy purple and pink lighting, something not every show has. Ashe, as a performer and as an individual, created an undeniable sense of pageantry and relatability. Many artists—and people in general—take themselves too seriously to truly engage in silliness or fun. But any onlooker at Ashe’s show could see Ashe was being one hundred percent herself.

Ashe’s show at Webster Hall marked the beginning of her two New York tour dates for her Fault Line tour, now making its rounds in Europe. Musically, Ashe has had extreme success. The 29-year-old singer, born Ashlyn Rae Willson, released her critically-acclaimed debut EP in 2018. Her second EP, “Moral of the Story: Chapter 1” in 2019, produced by the famous Finneas O’Connell, topped the charts. The song “Moral of the Story” was even used in Netflix’s To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.

While Ashe’s upbeat electro-pop at times could benefit from a stronger sense of innovation or experimentation, her sound undeniably captures the passionate, hot-blooded feelings of love. This is mostly because the strength of Ashe’s sound is in the lyricism and drama of the pop ballad aspects of certain tracks. Slow-simmering hits like “Moral of the Story” or “Save Myself” lean into that ruminating pop ballad aspect more, thus making them some of her strongest songs to date.

As a performer, Ashe is lovably melodramatic and incredibly personable. The vast majority of the show saw her jumping around the stage, flipping her hair around, twirling more than any person should reasonably be able to do without falling over. The lighting and stage design were well-executed, with playful and dynamic flashing lights and the well-placed use of a disco ball.

But what really made Ashe’s show stand out is that she seemed deeply invested in having the crowd enjoy their time with her. Ashe, who grew up singing in church and listening to Christian radio, approached the night like a non-religious spiritual leader. When she asked the crowd to let go of whatever was bothering them and enjoy the night, you listened. When she jumped down in the crowd to personally check that a member of the audience got the assistance they needed, you weren’t surprised. And when she said she really was so happy to be there with you all, you couldn’t help but genuinely believe it was true.