Noah Cyrus Enchants Portland’s Crystal Ballroom

Noah Cyrus headlined Portland’s Crystal Ballroom during her I Wanted My Loved Ones To Go With Me North America Tour. Words & photos by Paige Fulkerson

Just two years ago Noah Cyrus performed at the same historic venue during her Hardest Part Tour and many of the same fans attended and began queing at 2 p.m. the day of the September, 21st, show. Several fans had the opportunity to catch Cyrus as she entered the venue, chatting and taking pictures with her before the show.

The stage was beautifully set with a backdrop of withering trees and mossy rocks surrounding her band of five. As she entered the stage at 9 p.m. she carried a glowing lantern as the smoke machines began pumping out smoke, turning the stage into a mystical forest that Cyrus had to wander through.

Cyrus is not only a powerhouse singer but performer, walking to the stage in an old fashioned gown and brown corset. Her long brown wavy hair performed with her as she opened the set with two of her songs from her newest album, “I Saw The Mountains” and “Don’t Put It All On Me.”

Cyrus asked the crowd who’d been at her show the previous tour at the venue and at least 100 hands in the crowd rose as they cheered.

One fan on the barricade held on her phone the words “Queen ❤️” as Cyrus performed while couples in the back slow danced to the music. Love and good vibes were spread throughout the venue.

Cyrus paired her Nashville, TN, roots perfectly with her serene vocals. A violin was played during multiple songs and while she’s not folk nor country she mixes her roots to create her own sound. 

At only 25 years old, and often seen as the little sister to Miley Cyrus, Noah is single handedly making a name for herself apart from the Cyrus name.

For “Man In The Field” Cyrus walked around the stage holding the lantern as if she was looking for someone or something.

Before the encore, Cyrus performed one of her most popular songs “I Got So High That I Saw Jesus,” saying to the crowd, “I hope you guys came prepared!” 

One fan on the barricade reached over and handed Cyrus a lit joint as she puffed it on stage and passed it back to the fans in the front. Similar smoke clouds formed in the rest of the crowd and by the second verse, the whole venue smelled of weed, making for an iconic ending to an iconic concert.

The encore was made up of “Make Me (Cry)” and “XXX” before she left the stage. At about midnight after the show, three fans waited in hope of meeting Cyrus and they received, taking pictures with and giving Cyrus words of affirmation about the show they just watched.