TOUR REVIEW | FLETCHER Kicks Off ISOTA Tour In Milan

FLETCHER reconciles with Cari on stage as the singer’s In Search Of The Antidote Tour kicks off in Milan, Italy on April 1.

Anyone familiar with 30-year-old queer icon FLETCHER knows the singer gives her all on stage. However, following her Lyme disease diagnosis last year and her subsequent six months away from the spotlight and the stage, no one knew what to expect when the singer finally stepped on stage again. 

Now rebranded the In Search Of The Antidote tour, the former Girl Of My Dreams tour was postponed in September 2023, a month short from its planned kick-off so that the singer could focus on her health. Cari Fletcher had then asked her fans to hold on to their tickets, and by the size of the crowd on opening night, it’s needless to say her fans did just that. 

Formerly planned on October 10, FLETCHER’s April 1 Milan show marked her first time playing a headlining show since her diagnosis, and her first time on an Italian stage altogether. Considered one of the largest indoor entertainment facilities in Milan, Fabrique Milano thus hosted a nearly sold-out show for the American singer, with over 3,000 fans showing up to support her.

In the queue, fans from all over the country and even from abroad mingled, making friendship bracelets, playing cards, and signing flags. Here and there, you could even spot some fans meeting for the first time after knowing each other for years via the artist’s online community. The atmosphere was thus very peaceful and friendly, in alignment with the “safe space” FLETCHER has always wished for her shows to be. Nevertheless, as the hours passed and the nearby bar started to blast the artist’s music, you could feel the excitement buzzing and whispers of “I can’t believe she’s really here!” getting louder and louder. So when doors finally opened at 7:00pm, the thousands of fans were quick to line up and enter the venue, joining the lucky fans with VIP packages who had been let in a bit earlier to hear “Two Things Can Be True” and “Healing” during soundcheck.

Opening act ARXX took the stage at 8:00pm to hype up the crowd some more. The queer alt-rock duo from Brighton, UK played a 30-minute set, engaging with the crowd as they played songs from their debut album, Ride Or Die, as well as a cover of Cher’s “Do You Believe In Life After Love?” and their latest single, “Crying In The Carwash.” As Hanni and Clara thanked FLETCHER and shared their excitement about being on tour with her, they also took the opportunity to announce they’ll be embarking on their own headlining tour in the fall.

As the crew cleared the stage to get it ready for FLETCHER, fans got the first glimpse at what the setting for this leg of the tour was going to look like. Aiming for a simpler design to leave more room for the musicians, the artist opted for a three-level stage, with some of her band members being on elevated platforms, and the top of the large background screen serving as an even higher stage.

As close-ups of the pop singer’s mouth and face appeared on the screen, her quartet of musicians entered the stage. Drummer Cameron Lockwood and bassist Sophie Potrykus appeared first, much to the fans’ delight, having worked with Fletcher for a few years now and being well-acquainted with her fanbase. They were quickly followed by newly added guitarists Zach Comtois and Lexii Lynn. 

FLETCHER came on stage right around 9 o’clock, looking as beautiful as ever in a white cropped top paired with black ripped jeans and a black leather jacket. Opening with one of her newer songs, “Maybe I Am,” the singer-songwriter was stunned to see that within a week of the release, her fans already knew all the words to her newest record, In Search Of The Antidote. Over the next hour or so, FLETCHER performed a total of 22 songs, including songs from her debut album Girl Of My Dreams (2022), and two latest EPs you ruined new york city for me (2019) and THE S(EX) TAPES (2020).

There were several highlights throughout the show, which could be pinpointed by the increases in decibel levels in the room. The first time the deafening screams of Fletcher’s fans got even louder was when the singer was given an electric guitar 10 minutes into the show to perform a little “Attached To You” instrumental outro with her band. The 30-year-old made her little rockstar moment last a little longer by keeping the guitar throughout “Pretending,” which quickly became a fan favorite after the release. 

The whole way through, you could spot Cari shining right through her FLETCHER disguise. You could see it in her little dance moves and legs kicking as she performed “Serial Heartbreaker”, in the genuine joy that graced her face as she played cameraman during “If I Hated You” and pointed a camera at her fans and band members so they could appear on the screen, or even in the overall excitement she showed to be back on stage and performing for and with her fans during “All Love”. And although it was Cari who had the mic while she shared all about being half Italian thanks to her “100% Italian” mother, it was FLETCHER who couldn’t pass up on some very sexy traditions, such as the sensual mic stand grinding during “Becky’s So Hot”, or the iconic signing of fans’ breasts.

“My only FLETCHER rule is that you come to the show and that you just feel all your feelings like… whatever you’re going through right now, if you’re angry, you’re sad, you’re f-cking happy or horny like… whatever’s going on in your life, [I want you] to feel your feelings and to let yourself go tonight,” FLETCHER shared half way through the show. “Be free, just dance, whatever’s happening in the outside world, we’re just in this beautiful safe little bubble of energy together and I just want you to feel good and feel yourself tonight.”

Every ounce of love and energy FLETCHER sent to her fans, they sent back times a hundred and I felt incredibly lucky to be in the room experiencing and witnessing first-hand such a beautiful connection. Every once in a while in between two applause, you could hear fans call out Cari’s name, chant ‘Sei bellissima’ (You’re so beautiful), or even take over when the singer messed up the lyrics to her career-changing hit, “Undrunk”. But the biggest proof of their dedication came when the singer slowed down the show a little to perform her newest album’s title track, “Antidote.” As soon as the first notes resonated, an army of heart-shaped signs glued to colorful wooden sticks reading “You Are Our Antidote” popped up in the crowd, making the artist emotional.

Overall, the whole evening was full of music, connection, emotion, and most importantly, unconditional reciprocal love. If FLETCHER had ever doubted her fans would stick around for the ride, the opening night of her In Search Of The Antidote Tour was enough to dissipate her uncertainty. Backed up by four incredible musicians, FLETCHER owned the stage as if she had never left it, and her fans welcomed her home with arms wide open.

Fans may have gotten tickets to see FLETCHER, the superstar on-stage persona of the 30-year-old artist, but it is Cari Fletcher that they found on stage, in her most authentic, free, and unfiltered self. If I can promise you one thing, as a long-time fan myself, it’s that no one in the room could have asked for anything better and we enjoyed every second of it.

Tickets for FLETCHER’s ISOTA Tour are now available on her website.

FLETCHER IN SEARCH OF THE ANTIDOTE TOUR – MILAN SETLIST

Intro
Maybe I Am
Sting
Serial Heartbreaker
Attached To You
Pretending
Ego Talking
Shh… Don’t Say It
If Hated You
Girs Girls Girls 
Guess We Lied
Bitter
Joyride (Acoustic)
Better version
Crush
Sex With My Ex
All Love
Undrunk
Lead Me On
Eras of Us
Antidote
Doing Better
Becky’s So Hot

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Connect with me at @LexHervoix with the song you’re the most excited to see live, and you might just win a ticket to see the artist live in Barcelona on April 4.