Drizzly New Jersey greeted us at the famous Starland Ballroom. For most, rain is a foreboding sign of despair, but huddled under the awning by the fans who call themselves Huddy Gang, I had the sinking feeling this rain represented a new beginning.
via Ali Fitzgerald, @alfitzpics
For Chase Hudson, he had a lot to prove on this tour. He began his rise to fame on TikTok where he was a founder of the viral collective the Hype House. After grappling with who he wanted to be, he decided it was time to embrace his passion — music. Under his stage name “HUDDY” (previously known as Lil Huddy) he released the first taste of his sound and genuinely shocked both his fanbase and the general public. Huddy was reaching for a pop punk sound that was just starting to come back into popularity.
Career transitions are never easy. If Chase wanted to make it, he’d need to be able to prove that he wasn’t the e-boy TikToker that everyone knew him as. If he wanted to be considered a serious musician, he’d need to deliver unforgettable performances every night on tour.
Was he ready to live up to his new beginning?
On tour with Oliver Tree’s “Cowboy Tears: One Last Ride” tour meant he finally would get to share his music with a live audience. If we’re candid, he was the odd man out on the tour lineup, which typically would be an issue. His pop-rock sound with an early 2000s mainstream punk influence truly felt out of place on the bill.
Nonetheless, he proved my anxieties about that wrong. He wasn’t the odd man; Huddy was the stand-out star.
The front of the crowd was lined with his dedicated fangirls pressed eagerly against the barricade.
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