Ellise brought her newly released “Sexxxtapes” to the Motorco Music Hall stage and held the crowd spellbound during an intimate night of pure captivation.
North Carolina experienced a bit of winter this week with frigid temperatures and a layer of ice coating the outdoors. While most of Durham, NC, remained warmly tucked in at home, an undeterred hundred-ish dedicated fans braved the cold and made it to Motorco Music Hall for Ellise‘s Durham, NC, debut.
Show opener Meg Smith released her second album, Disco Dystopia, in November 2025. Energetic from the start, Meg Smith and her drummer, Chris, opened with “God Damn Baby” from Disco Dystopia and instantly injected warming pop music energy into the still-thawing audience. Always wearing a gleefully playful smile, Meg’s boundless energy pumped the room’s temperature higher as songs “You Fake Your British Accent” and “Girls Just Wanna Be Famous” found a large and confident fan base singing along word for word. Perhaps it was the free angel halos made available at the venue door, but Meg Smith’s presence and fan appreciation were very strong and continued to be felt throughout the evening, including when the evening’s headliner took the stage.
From start to finish, Meg Smith’s stage presence was hallmarked by the effort and determination of an aspiring musician, paired with a relatable and lovable charm who laughed at her mistakes and welcomed everyone to openly enjoy the humor of being a fallible human being. Meg Smith shooed away the cold outdoors and got the room ready for the evening’s headliner with a thoroughly enjoyable 40-minute set.
Experiencing Ellise’s live show is a unique pop music experience. Ellise’s performance at Motorco Music Hall was like walking into and spending an hour within an empowered, melancholy mood. Everything from lighting to costume to music and lyrics came together and pulled the audience into experiencing “dark pop” rather than being a witness to a performance. Quite like becoming enchanted by a magical woman, the audience swayed and sang as if everyone were experiencing the same dream. Both powerful and eerie, Ellise’s set was a captivating experience. Ellise’s mid-tempo songwriting and highly emotional lyrics influenced dancing into rhythmic swaying and required singing as opposed to a scream-along, which other pop artists experience from their fans.Performing on a stage lit by a rainbow created by red and purple lights intermingling, Ellise’s confidence was evident from the start. “KEROSENE” from her 2025 album Pretty Evil Deluxe opened the set, locking in the room’s attention. Moving between vocally breathy and commanding personas throughout the set, songs such as “bite,” “KILL4ME,” and her latest single, “Sexxxtapes,” Ellise’s sound remained very consistent from song-to-song while still communicating the song’s unique story and message with subtle changes to body language and vocal intensity.
The Pretty Evil Tour Starring… Ellise continues through February 11, 2026, ending in San Diego, CA.
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