Audrey Hobert Proves She’s Reached Stardom at Her Sold-Out Seattle Show

By Kyla Lemieux

Just days before the one year release anniversary of her debut album, Who’s the Clown? Audrey Hobert made a stop in Seattle, Washington to close out the second leg of her first ever world tour. Selling out the 2,807 capacity Paramount Theater in downtown Seattle, the concert turned out to be one of the largest so far on the Staircase to Stardom Tour.

Before diving into the show, let’s take a look back on Audrey Hobert’s quick and triumphant rise to fame. Just over a year ago, in mid June of 2025, I was lucky enough to attend Hobert’s first ever solo live performance, at a 200 capacity club in New York City. At the time, Hobert had only released her lead single, “Sue Me.” She spent about half of the event performing unreleased tracks off of her then-unannounced album, spending the rest of the time telling entertaining anecdotes and stories about her writing process. During the concert’s final number, “Sue Me,” the crowd went so wild that Hobert decided to play the song a second time, this time telling the audience to put their phones away. This quickly became a tradition, with Hobert still playing the breakout single twice at each concert.

Just two months after her first show, Hobert released her highly anticipated debut album, Who’s the Clown? on August 15th, 2025, a short-but-sweet 12 song project containing catchy hooks, relatable lyrics, and a whole lot of personality. In the winter following the album’s release, Hobert embarked on a short North American tour, playing only venues of a capacity less than 1,000. Later she announced a more extensive tour, playing all across North America, as well as many previously announced European dates.

Over half a year after purchasing the tickets, August 13th finally arrived, and I drove into Seattle for the concert. Both the VIP and the regular general admission ticket holders were lined up outside the venue, with some fans reporting arriving as early as five o’clock in the morning to set up camp outside. I joined the VIP line, receiving a number for the fan-run system in place to ensure that nobody lost their spots in line. This was one of my first times queuing before a concert, and the experience was incredible. Those in line by around 3:00 p.m. were able to hear Hobert soundchecking through the doors, and many fans outside worked together to organize various fan projects.

Around 5:30 p.m., everyone in the VIP line was given a small wristband, and at 6:00 we were let into the venue to attend the exclusive Q&A experience with Hobert. I secured a spot in the second row, and was among the 20 people selected to ask Hobert a question.

Around 8:00, Hobert momentarily stopped by the stage to bring out a mannequin, which acted as the “opening act” as loud dance music played and neon lights lit up the venue. Then, at 8:30, the concert began.

Hobert opened the show with her album’s first track, “I Like to Touch People,” a witty number about the artist’s desire to evoke every emotion from her audiences. She performed the track while standing on a ladder, decked out in a beige trench coat, fake glasses, and a large faux nose, playing a banjo while towering over those on the floor.

Once Hobert stepped down from the ladder, she hardly spent a second of the show standing still. Whether she was running across the stage, dancing in unison with her cousin, Savannah, who makes appearances throughout the show, or bouncing enthusiastically on a miniature trampoline, Hobert’s energy never dimmed for a second. From start to finish, the audience’s spirits remained high as well. In all my years of attending concerts of every size, I have never heard a crowd scream quite this loud throughout a show. After each song, everyone around me would not only cheer, but shout at the top of their lungs, making sure Hobert could hear every ounce of their excitement.

As the show came to a close, Hobert momentarily left the stage to build up anticipation before performing her debut single, “Sue Me.” Throughout the song, the voices of the audience were practically the only thing audible, singing each and every lyric as loud as humanly possible. Once the song ended, Hobert performed her album closer, “Silver Jubilee,” which acts as the album’s most recently released single.

Though a typical concert would end here, an Audrey Hobert show cannot conclude without the promised second rendition of “Sue Me.” As the audience cheered, Hobert excitedly yelled, “put your phones away,” and the song was performed once again.

Running just over 45 minutes, the Staircase to Stardom Tour is by far one of the shortest concerts I’ve ever attended, but it absolutely satisfied the audience just as much as any two hour concert ever would.

A personal highlight for me was the artist-audience interaction, with Hobert constantly calling out fans for their enthusiastic dancing or complimenting their unique outfits, both during the concert itself and during the pre-show Q&A. This once again proves just how personable Hobert really is, demonstrating a level of realness in an industry where reality is often distorted. Throughout the night, as well as throughout Hobert’s entire career so far, she has prioritized her beliefs that everyone should always show up as themselves, stating during the concert, “be whoever you want to be tonight, and then keep being that person every day for the rest of your life.”

In the upcoming months, a final leg of the Staircase to Stardom Tour is set to take place. But, despite the ongoing title of the tour, it seems that Audrey Hobert has already achieved the stardom she was climbing towards.