It feels like there are a growing number of people in my circle that count themselves as fans of Tucker Pillsbury. The American singer-songwriter, better known as his on-stage alter-ego Role Model, has crept slowly into the charts, our hearts and our TikTok feeds these last few years, but it feels like in 2025 he's finally hit his stride. Off the back of his latest album Kansas Anymore, he's headed on tour – unconventionally hitting up Australian cities first. And it's about time, as fans have waiting for more than five years to see him perform live.
Stepping out of our Uber out front of the Enmore Theatre last night, the energy was palpable – and the cowboy boots and loafers aplenty. It's been a long time since I've walked into a gig so dominated by the force that is 'girlhood', and damn, it felt nice. Even the pre-show playlist was an opportunity for a chorus of 2,500 exuberant voices to belt out Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish tunes with abandon. And I simply must give mention to the evening's opening act – Alaskan-born musician Medium Build, aka Nick Carpenter. Wow, does that guy have pipes. And charisma. Despite the tough job of opening for an artist with such a dedicated fan base, Carpenter managed to immediately have the crowd in the palm of his hand (though he may have had to partake in the hazing ritual of a 'shoey' in the process). He also has a perfectly mastered Australian accent impression – a feat any Aussie knows is tough to nail. I would highly recommend giving him a listen, or heading to his solo show at Oxford Arts Factory in Darlinghurst next Wednesday.
Right on time, the evening's headliner trotted out on stage, fronting a three-piece live band on risers. But while the production value was relatively stripped back – no backdrops, costume changes or pyrotechnics – it really felt like Pillsbury needed none of it to bring the house to its knees. Opening with the upbeat belter Writing's on the Wall and sweet croonings of Look at That Woman, it was an instant lift off. Without missing a beat – or a lyric – the crowd performed each song back to the band as passionately as they were being delivered it. And in between hip shaking and witty back-and-forths with crowd members between songs, the evening fell away.
It felt obvious that Pillsbury knew his demographic well – catering his performance to the references and vernacular of the girls in attendance. From attesting he was "too clean girl aesthetic" to be partaking in a shoey, to covering The 1975's Somebody Else, he seemed to not just be cosplaying a teenage girl, but like someone who probably has algorithm-ed his way into the same For You pages, meme sharing group chats and Spotify playlists as them. The room was a place safe and warmed by his presence – and I couldn't help but wonder how many of the girls would be heading to school the next morning trilling about their evening with Role Model.
When Pillsbury broke into the tones of Sally, an as-yet-unreleased new track from his forthcoming deluxe album, the room seemed to know every word by heart – a moment that garnered an ear-to-ear grin from the singer. Slower songs like Compromise had torch lights swaying, and forever&more sweetly closed out the main set. Of course, the night couldn't finish without a high, and was capped by the electric strum of Deeply Still in Love, which, after a lingering pause, finished on the closing line: "I'm sorry, but I'm deeply still in love / In love with you... Sydney."
