Ellise brought the second night of her “Pretty Evil Tour” to the X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, Wisconsin, with support from Meg Smith. The sheer talent and energy of this pair would make for an insane performance.
Meg Smith started the night with flashing lights and her drummer playing a beat that built momentum, creating anticipation for her entrance. Meg strutted onstage wearing angel wings that are, without a doubt, as tall as I am. I was quickly captivated by her look and her sound. She started her set with my favorite song by her, “God Damn Baby,” which featured an addictive melody and choreography. Meg’s energy is infectious, and that, combined with the free halos she was handing out at the merch table, had the audience on her side from the moment she took the stage. After this song, she said she felt a witchy, feminine energy in the room and asked if any audience members had an ex they wanted her to cast a spell on. An audience member shared the story of her horrible ex ghosting her, and we all cursed him with a call and response chant that included wishing for him to have bad breath, bad sex, and finally yelling, “We banish him from Milwaukee.” This fun ritual led us into a song about an ex of hers and her friends cast a spell on because they broke up with her on Halloween.
Another memorable part of Meg’s set was when she had the audience vote on a cover for her to play, and the vote would be calculated using her decibel reader. Our options were “Mama Mia” by ABBA, “Toxic” by Brittney Spears, “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, and an interpretive drum solo with bird noises by Chris. Surprisingly, “Mama Mia” got no votes, which Meg said has literally never happened before, and unsurprisingly, “Toxic” won the vote. For this song, she came into the audience, had everyone get down low, and jump when the chorus hit, which was a really fun and interactive moment. Meg kept the exciting energy of her set by playing fan favorite “Girls Just Wanna Be Famous,” and telling fans that she would be available to talk and hang out at her merch table after the show. She finished her set with “Jesus Christ In A Mini Skirt,” which featured a saxophone solo from Meg and was an iconic way to end her set.
Ellise took the stage shortly after and immediately captivated me with her dark, old Hollywood vibe. She has a powerhouse voice that struck us when she opened with “Kerosene.” This song was a perfect opening song. It set the dark, yet poppy tone of the set and really stuck with me. Ellise’s professionalism as an artist shone amid a technical difficulty toward the beginning of her performance. The microphone she was talking into distorted so heavily that you couldn’t understand any of the words she was saying. At first, I thought this distortion was built into the show, but when a sound technician from the venue came up to swap the microphone, I realized that it was just a freak incident. She handled the unexpected turn in her set so well and took time to engage with her fans while the issue was swiftly resolved.
Ellise continued her set by playing “KILLER,” which had a fun and spooky energy to it. Following this, she played some older songs for the OG fans in the audience, including “Black Balloons,” “Half A Heart,” and “Chaotic.” Her instrumentals and the tone of her songs remind me of Melanie Martinez and Halsey. Bantering with the audience, Ellise talked about how cold it is here in Wisconsin, and being a California girl, she is not built for our weather. She also said that no matter how cold it is outside, it will always be hot onstage. She also asked the crowd if anyone was an Ariana Grande fan and played a stunning cover of “Dangerous Woman.” Her range and the power in her voice were perfect for that song. Continuing her set, Ellise played other favorites like “Cherry On Top,” “Loser,” “Ballerina,” “She Ruins Everything,” and her brand new single “SEXXXTAPES,” which was released on January 23, 2026. Ellise is a powerhouse performer who has perfected her sound, aesthetic, and stage presence. The “Pretty Evil Tour” has only just begun, and runs all across the U.S. through February 11. If you can catch Ellise on this tour, I highly recommend it. She is an incredibly talented performer who is an absolute blast to watch onstage.
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