Although child-star-turned-pop-sensation JoJo is definitely a “downtown” kind of girl, post-lockdown she’s established herself as a staple of Eraserhood, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection’s art district most famous as the inspiration behind David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Last October she headlined an exceptionally intimate (and exceptionally sold out) show at Underground Arts, a basement venue best known for metal and punk. However, this past Tuesday (3/22) she found herself just a few blocks away, headlining the 1,300-capacity Union Transfer for a show that was far less intimate, but just as sold out. The Eraserhood mega-venue was as packed as it’s been since the pandemic for an epic performance that included laser lights and an arena-ready spectacle.
While October’s show presented the soulful R&B diva in as stripped-down of a setting as the city is ever likely to see, her appearance at Union Transfer had her in all of her pop star glory. However, many of the show’s highlights came from some of the quieter moments on 2020’s good to know, the singer’s fourth full-length (and first released on her Clover Music imprint), including exceptionally sultry album tracks “Pedialyte” and “Think About You,” in addition to “Spiral SZN,” from last year’s trying not to think about it EP (which was actually praised by Pitchfork), which provided arguably the evening’s sassiest moments. And while JoJo’s current, hyper-sensual persona seems a long way from the 15-year-old who recorded The High Road in 2006, a handful of the album’s tracks still proved to be fan favorites of the night, including “Like That” and “Too Little Too Late.”
