Reneé Rapp delivers vocals and the performance of a lifetime at the ‘Bite Me’ tour

Musical theater sensation-turned pop star Reneé Rapp took the stage at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Oct. 8 to perform her “Bite Me” tour. Rapp was accompanied by Syd, her opening act, who sang her heart out and got the crowd excited for what was to come.

Before Rapp took the stage, a pre-recorded video was shown on the screen where she played herself, as well as everyone else in her life. The video features everyone she knows demanding different things from her until she finally snaps, telling them to leave her alone.

Rapp opened the show with a snippet of “Everything to Everyone,” a track from her debut EP, transitioning into the hit lead single from her album “Bite Me,” “Leave Me Alone.”

She also performed “Kiss It Kiss It,” “Talk Too Much,” “Shy” and more. The setlist also included “Swim,” a deluxe track from the album “Snow Angel.” During this song, Rapp did a barricade walk around the entire pit, saying hello to her fans.

Rapp ended her set with “At Least I’m Hot,” but not before giving a nod to her time in “Mean Girls.” She released a song with Megan Thee Stallion for the “Mean Girls” musical movie called “Not My Fault.” Rapp began playing the beginning of “Not My Fault,” only to transition into a bit halfway through where she decides she doesn’t want to sing the song. Instead, she sang “At Least I’m Hot.”

The song features some spoken dialogue by her girlfriend, Towa Bird, which was said by a fan at the show. Rapp had visited that fan earlier in the day at her dorm to film a TikTok. As soon as the song ended, Rapp left the stage.

The show was fantastic and I enjoyed every second of it, but I was surprised by the fact that there wasn’t a single costume change. Rapp left the stage in the same outfit she entered in. There was also no encore, which shocked me. I can’t remember the last show I went to that didn’t have at least a pre-planned encore.

Regardless of the lack of costume changes and an encore, the show was fabulous. I went with my family, who had never seen Rapp before, and they were blown away. Her vocals are unmatched — she was born to perform live. Her musical theater and Broadway backgrounds were showcased not only through her vocals, but also through her expressions. Her acting was fantastic.

I first saw Rapp live in 2023 at the “Snow Hard Feelings” tour in Indianapolis, and while she was wonderful then, the “Bite Me” tour took everything to a new level. Seeing her perform in an arena with a set as opposed to a small concert venue was a huge shift, and she killed it.

It wasn’t just a concert — it was a performance, a show. Rapp was able to do it without flashy costume changes, which says a lot about her as a performer.

Rating: 8/10

powers40@miamioh.edu