Written by: Jamie Choe & Valentina Villarreal
Day 1 (Jamie):
For those who are unfamiliar, Harrison Patrick Smith (better known as The Dare) is an artist known for his 2000s electro-dance pop. While he has been creating music since 2018 under various stage names such as Turtlenecked, his first major success was when his song “Girls” went viral on TikTok in 2023. From this, he was able to quit his job as a substitute teacher and put his full focus towards his music career.
Following his Lollapalooza set from August of this year, The Dare has quickly become a favorite of mine to see live in concert. His performance is packed with energy and gets the crowd excited to have fun all night alongside his simple yet effective set design that perfectly matches the theme of his music. When I found out he would be performing in Los Angeles as I came back to the city, I knew I had to buy tickets for both nights of his performance. Since pressing the purchase button, I have been anticipating the show since. Typically, going solo to shows stops me from wanting to attend, but I was eager to watch his performance again, nothing scared me from attending. Luckily, it led me to finding out here at Hard Times Magazine that Valentina was also going to the show!
Ready to attend, The Dare performed in Los Angeles on October 24th and 25th both nights at The Fonda Theatre. It was at around 5:50 PM when I kicked off my weekend at the venue. Expecting to see a line of people ready to see The Dare at the Fonda due to the trend of lining up early for the show, I was surprised to see only around seven people ahead of me in line. While waiting for the doors to open, I interacted with other fans, many were kind enough to save my spot in line so I could use the restroom, grab food, and get something to drink. General admission shows can come with much uncertainty but making friends in line always makes the experience of music more enjoyable and is a crystal part of concert culture and adds to the enjoyment of the show! After about two hours in line later, the venue doors opened for the sea of fans to crowd the stage ready to start their night.
Two hours later into the night, the opener Uffie, known for her electronic music and work with Charli XCX kicked off the show. Playing many of her hits such as, “Pop the Glock” and “Serotonin Moonbeams.” Her performance was exhilarating and got the crowd ready for the main act. Her set was very engaging with her interacting with the DJ behind her while singing to the crowd. At many points amidst her set she came off stage to walk the barricade grabbing fans hands and hugging them. With some technical and audio difficulties in the midst of her performance, she got off stage 45 minutes later leaving fans excited and anticipating the main act they came for.
Photo Credit: Jamie Choe
At around 10:15 PM (15 minutes later than anticipated), The Dare came on stage to a packed and nearly sold-out show. He performed most of the songs off his most recent album released in September of 2024, What’s Wrong With New York. Although he has a relatively short discography and show, many fun aspects were added to make it more interactive such as when he moves from one side of the stage to the other playing the cymbal during “perfume” and throwing the drumstick into the crowd. Fans erupted with excitement trying to catch this and getting a chance to have a physical souvenir. He also had extra water bottles on stage which he threw into the crowd as a remix of “Bloodwork” mixed with Charli XCX’s “Guess” played right after the lyric “Send them to The Dare, yeah, I think he’s with it” is played.
One of the major differences that influenced my enjoyment of the show, from his past performance as Lollapalooza, was the setting. The Fonda Theatre has the capacity to hold around 1,200 people, a major difference from the 115,000 capacity at Lollapalooza. Despite this smaller venue, it made the experience and performance more intimate. The Dare also relied heavily on visual lighting, which transformed the venue into a club-like experience. For his performance, The Dare relied solely on his stage presence, lighting, and soundboard. Despite not having any vocal support, band, or dancers, The Dare transformed the stage and made it his own.
Day 2 (Val):
One of the easiest decisions and shows to purchase tickets in advance for was The Dare’s performance at the Fonda Theatre. With tickets only being around forty dollars, my craving to attend was only fueled. With excitement coursing through my veins, I bought the tickets awaiting the date.
I attended the concert with two of my childhood friends and when arriving at the venue is when I met Jamie! Coincidentally enough, we both work for Hard Times Magazine, so it was not only a live concert but somehow ironically a networking event. Arriving at around 7:00 PM, we found the line to be incredibly short. It was so short that we could clearly see “The Dare” displayed on The Fonda Theatre’s marquee. While waiting in line, we saw many fans dressed up as The Dare himself or in similar color schemes and outfits. At around 8:00 PM the doors finally opened and fans were let inside.
While one of my friends went to the restroom and the others purchased water, I grabbed our spot in the pit, which was the third row from the stage. Jamie was right in front of me in the row ahead. Waiting for the show to begin, my friends and I started talking to the people around us, discussing some of our favorite and common music tastes, where we were from, and who we came with. This made the event more exciting as it went from forming connections to jumping and dancing together once the show began. This was especially evident when night two’s opener, George Clanton, went on stage.
George Clanton, best known for his work with indie-pop band TV Girl, opened the show. Confidently walking onto the stage, he knew that he’d put on a memorable starting act. While playing a number of songs, he sported a pair of headphones, which added to the visuals of his performance. One song that got the most hype was The Basement Jaxx’s “Where’s Your Head At?”. We jumped and danced as the strobes lights hit our faces, truly imitating a club atmosphere. Towards the end of his set, Brad Petering came out as TV Girl, playing a song in collaboration with Clanton, leaving the crowd cheering.
After Clanton’s set, all that was left was who we all came for, The Dare. Eventually, lights began to dim and The Dare walked onto the stage, with his classic black suit and tie with sunglasses, drawing the crowd in with a mysterious aura. As he begins to play with the soundboard, he jumps into the first song of his setlist “Open Up” from his album What’s Wrong With New York? The crowd begins jumping, putting their hands in the air, dancing, cheering, and singing along to the lyrics.
One thing that stands out about The Dare’s set is his creative club-like strobe lights. Not only do they fit the atmosphere of his music, but they also work to excite the crowd transporting them into a new world. From the lights, songs, performance, and The Dare’s ability to capture the audience, it perfectly encapsulates the Boiler Room raves seen online transporting us to a new scene.
The Dare’s show at The Fonda Theatre was immersive, captivating, and most of all, thrilling! Bouncing across the stage often and making time for each side of the stage to capture videos and pictures. During the show, he also began swinging his microphone stand around, which caused many fans to cheer and added to the craziness. As the show came to a close around 11:00 PM, he ended off his set with his song “Girls” from The Sex EP. The night ended with a bang as the crowd went wild, cheering and dancing to this song.
Photo Credit: Jamie Choe
Many live performances have made me feel alive, but The Dare managed not only that. His performance left me feeling free as well. Although it sounds a bit cliché, I danced my heart out while singing along to my favorite songs, such as “Perfume” and “I Destroyed Disco.” Ultimately, The Dare’s performance at The Fonda Theatre was one I will never forget, as he truly prioritized the audience’s entertainment and enjoyment with his show-stopping set.