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“Live music is a religious experience,” Regina once told Cady. Regina is only a little bit of a nerd when it comes to music. She uses music to get into character, making playlists for each character, each season, each scene. She’s not even picky about what music she listens to. For Regina, it’s all about the vibe. Her Spotify is a mess and she’ll never let anyone see it, not even Cady.
Cady doesn’t seem to understand live music. She’s partial to tracks that sound uneasy, not quite confident in their own sound, and anything that sounds like it’s missing something but that if that something was added then the track would be ruined. Regina’s going to get Cady to understand eventually, even if it takes years.
Between scenes for “Everything to Everyone,” Regina puts together a playlist of live recordings of some of her favourite songs, just for Cady. She and Karen sit in her trailer and download songs from YouTube and create a folder on Regina’s laptop so she can download them onto Cady’s phone. She carefully clips stream replays of festival sets so Cady can understand what’s so special about live music. The only way that she’s really going to understand is by going to concerts, but Regina’s booked until “Everything to Everyone” wraps on season three.
Cady starts asking for playlists to encapsulate the vibe that she wants. The energy she’s looking for is almost always not what Regina has music for, though. Since Iconica, Cady’s had a lot more mainstream attention, which she hates, but it’s obvious that she needs to keep making these big projects she’s less passionate about so she can fund her desire to create weird things on YouTube. The critics call her work psychological thriller, but Cady insists that what she does is more, but she doesn’t have the words to describe what it is. Instead, she went with the cliché that the music will do the talking as she drafted her next super secret project that she won’t even tell her girlfriend.
And then Regina learns that Cady doesn’t have Spotify Premium. Regina damn near shakes her girlfriend by the shoulders because these playlists have to be listened to in order or else the vibe isn’t correct. Regina buys another Spotify subscription because there’s no way that she’s going to mess with her carefully curated Spotify account. So Regina gladly pays for her girlfriend’s subscription, just so Cady can grow to appreciate music the way that it deserves to be appreciated.
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For Cady’s first concert ever, Regina scores free tickets through her favourite white girl (excluding herself): Mckenna Grace. Gracie’s doing a one night show in LA that Regina simply has to go to because she somehow still hasn’t seen her sing live, aside from karaoke and when they’re driving up the 101 to get away for the day and singing at the top of their lungs. But those don’t count anyway—neither of them really care about what they sound like during those moments.
Regina trusts Mckenna to make it a good show and a fantastic first concert for Cady, who deserves only the greatest. And Mckenna’s grown up as a performer so of course, so she’s obviously going to put on a great show.
As the biggest fan of Mckenna’s music on the planet (Regina’s tossed herself entirely into being a supportive friend), Regina prepares herself and her girlfriend by blasting Mckenna’s music in her apartment, in her car, in Cady’s earbuds. If there’s any music playing at all, it’s Mckenna Grace. Regina’s probably being way too insufferable about this show, but Cady is going to understand, if Regina can help it.
She tells Cady to dress cute. It’s a Mckenna Grace concert and Gracie is one of those fools who has a whole aesthetic and always has a cute outfit on deck. Regina pulls out a mesh top over a black bra and only slightly baggy cargo jeans that aren’t usually her style (but she didn’t steal them from Cady because Cady is miniature and there’s no way anything that Cady owns would fit over her fantastic ass). Cady’s wearing shorts and a linen button up that she stole from Regina while filming Idaho! and Regina never asked for it back (it looks better on Cady, anyway). She’s wearing high top Converse that Kylie painted and embroidered for her a while back. Cady’s unfairly cute in the outfit that some rich European boy who shouldn’t be sitting in Regina’s passenger seat would wear. Before they leave Regina’s apartment (Kylie is under Karen’s supervision because Gretchen is in New Hampshire for a short film), they take far too many pictures, only a handful of them making it onto both of their Instagrams, though everything that Cady posts are a little less than flattering and Regina would really rather not have those online.
Regina refuses to get any sort of special treatment, so she’s lined up at the doors 20 minutes early, dragging her girlfriend around easily. Cady’s filming a bird on the corner of a building, evading the anti-bird spikes. She knows better than to try to talk to Cady when she’s filming some weird shot for BirdDrugs.
(“Turn your music down,” Cady hisses. “The birds don’t enjoy music.”
“Shut up, Janis,” Cady hisses again. “I need everyone to shut up for the birds!”
Regina’s not sure she wants to work with Cady Heron if she’s going to continue to be told to shut up. She’s supposed to be the bitch, not Cady Heron.
“It’s a fucking crow, Caddy. You can film the crow later,” Janis rolls her eyes.)
There’s a decent amount of people to see Gracie, but the venue isn’t packed. Cady laces their fingers together so she doesn’t get lost in the crowd while Regina gently pushes her way to the barricade. Regina secures a spot at the barricade, positioning herself behind Cady, her arms draped carelessly on her girlfriend’s shoulders. Regina rambles in Cady’s ear about the project that she’s thinking about signing onto: a sort of drama where she’d be very aggressively coming to grips with grief that she’s not even sure that she wants to do because it hits a little too close to home.
Since Cady’s popularity exploded after Idaho! and Iconica, she’s even more guarded about her work. She doesn't need anyone, not even the actors sometimes, to know things about her work until it’s published. Regina doesn’t even know anything, but Cady does like to ask her what she would be interested in as a fan of internet horror and Caddy. As far as Regina knows, her next project is going to be more similar to an alternate reality game instead of a story, even though it’s a project funded by a studio. As much as Regina tries, Cady won’t spill any of her secrets, saying that Regina “has to experience the story along with the rest of the plebeians.”
(Really, she won’t tell Regina anything because one: they’re in line at a very public concert and she refuses to let anything about this project leak and two: Regina deserves to experience the whole story because being told spoilers will ruin the whole immersion to this universe that Cady is creating.)
The intro to “You Ruined Nirvana” starts playing as Mckenna struts on stage. She looks stupidly good in a cropped shirt that Regina gave her and high waisted jean shorts, confidence pouring off her as she grabs the mic and yells, “What’s up Los Angeles?”
Gracie’s energy certainly is infectious because even though Regina was insufferably excited for this show, she’s practically bouncing even though Mckenna hasn’t even started singing. Gracie starts the first verse of “You Ruined Nirvana,” singing “Roll down the windows and scream ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams.’”
As Gracie’s rock star worthy vocals start, Cady seems to get into the song. As much as Regina is there to enjoy one of her close friend’s music, she’s watching Cady carefully to see if she finally understands (live) music. When the chorus rolls around, Cady’s bouncing along with the music, the bassline vibrating in her chest and the drums shaking her bones.
She says that she’s going to slow it down with “Haunted House,” but she ends up rambling about Ghostbusters for a while before her sound guy decides that she should start singing. Cady sways slowly along to the first verse, Regina’s arms still wrapped around her shoulders. With her chin perched on Cady’s shoulder, Regina sings along softly in Cady’s ear. This isn’t even Regina’s favourite song that Gracie’s written, but it is sort of iconic.
After “Haunted House,” Mckenna brings the energy back up with “Ugly Crier.” Regina doesn’t think that Cady knows that she’s bouncing along to the music. By the last chorus, she’s yelling it along with Regina, standing side by side at the barricade and yelling at Mckenna Grace. And that’s the moment that Regina knows that Cady understands the power of live music. It’s the way that she effortlessly bounces to the music, even though Cady claims that she can’t dance. It’s the way that she picks up lyrics faster than when Regina introduces a new song to her, that gets added to her Liked Songs playlist (seeing as that’s her only playlist because Cady is a heathen). It’s the way that Cady’s smile stretches across her face, a smile that Regina seldom gets to see outside of when she’s shooting (Cady’s an expert in that white boy smile: lips closed and the corners of her lips turned up. She also has this half-grin that Regina sees most often, one side of her mouth quirked up and it’s only a little sinister).
Gracie dives right into “Checkered Vans,” which has Regina bouncing and screaming the lyrics instead of making sure Cady gets the point of live music. It’s probably better this way, anyway, because having a partner who is into the music is better than one being the equivalent of a helicopter mom. Cady’s evidently into it, yelling the lyrics to the bridge with the second repetition: “I swear you exist just to spite me; I'm your cigarette, so gaslight me!”
Regina’s not even the biggest fan of rock music (though it is really good for any sort of hype music), but there’s some sort of crack in Mckenna’s music. Her lyrics are memorable and her voice is so clear that her music has Cady singing the lyrics. Regina also keeps turning to yell the lyrics of “City Leaver” in Cady’s face even though they literally live in the same city and both of them would never move to Houston.
With the almost non existent space around them, Regina and Cady half waltz-half sway to “Bittersweet 16” and “Collapsing Stars,” knowing that eyes and cameras are on them. Mckenna decides to shit on Regina, just a little, as she talks to the crowd after “Collapsing Stars.”
“So my friend Regina—you all know Regina, right—got herself a girlfriend and now I never see her. Like I get that you’re in love with her, George Michael, but that doesn’t mean you can ditch me, Xotch, and Cody. I thought we were close,” she says, pulling her in-ear monitors out so she can hear Regina’s incredibly witty response.
“Kill yourself, Gracie,” Regina deadpans. “Literally fucking kill yourself.”
“Is that her speaking? I feel like I can hear her voice, but I’m not sure anymore. Regina? Is that you?”
“I hate my life,” Regina mumbles to Cady.
Cady’s giggle is undignified.
“I’m not sorry I stole her from you, Kenna!”
“Ah! The selfish little prick of a girlfriend!” Gracie jests, pointing accusingly at Cady. She playfully sticks her tongue out at Cady, knowing that the two of them are friends because Regina’s forced them to hang out multiple times. “Anyway. George Orwell having a girlfriend makes me wish I had a boyfriend. Maybe even a gentleman.”
“Listenin' to your old CDs in your old grey truck. And I'm not so quick to trust, but your green eyes make me blush.”
Regina’s definitely not laughing at that segue—she’s laughing about Mckenna bullying her and Cady. Hopefully no one thinks she’s laughing at Gracie’s shitty intro to “Gentleman.”
Regina pretends to swoon against Cady’s side during the song, and she points at Cady whenever the line “I think I love a gentleman” is sung. Cady stretches out the collar of Regina’s top, dragging her into a kiss. Even though she’s aggressively aware of everything that gets said about her and everyone’s perception of her, Regina lets it happen because why the hell not? She’s at a concert with her second favourite person in the world (only Kylie is ranked higher because Karen and Gretchen are so annoying sometimes), so she kisses her girlfriend until Mckenna stops in the middle of her song to jokingly jeer “ew!” while pointing at them.
"Can I be homophobic for a sec? Asking my gay friends for permission so I dont get cancelled," Mckenna asks. Regina has no quip in response so she just nods, confused. As soon as she has permission, Gracie flashes them a thumbs down and loudly heckles "boo!"
Baffled, Regina asks “Why am I friends with you?” loud enough for her to hear.
During her last song of the set, Regina pulls out her phone to be Mckenna’s biggest fan (mostly to send it to Xoch, Cody, and Aryan). Mckenna keeps getting in the camera, singing “you’re such a buzzkill, baby!”
After the song’s over, Mckenna very earnestly thanks her audience as people start filing out, before sitting on the edge of the stage to annoy Regina for a little bit more. Cady practically hangs off her girlfriend as Regina and Mckenna poke each other until Mckenna very loudly and very dignified, whines “stop it!”
Regina does not stop it.
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Of course, Regina and Cady find headlines the next morning at brunch, as is their usual tradition. Well, headlines isn’t exactly the right word. Regina scrolls on TikTok and laughs at the posts about her and Cady being stupid at the concert.
They don’t talk about Regina’s ulterior motive because it’s so obvious that Cady finally sees why Regina has been on her ass about live music. Regina’s already looking at tickets for the Los Angeles tour stop of The Backseat Lovers.