REVIEW: Gatlin: Live at The Masquerade (Altar) - ATL
- Joe Chiarella
- 37 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Florida singer defies the odds at her Altar show
Just weeks before Gatlin's 2026 US tour was set to begin, an injury sustained while rescuing her escaped cat put the whole tour at risk. When she took the stage in Atlanta, she joked that she overheard people at the previous night's show recounting how she was attacked by a coyote. While it's true that she was rescuing her cat from coyotes, it was the cat that sent her to the hospital for a week of infection-fighting and hand surgery. Back home five days before opening night, she announced that the tour would proceed, minus her guitar, leaving her with nothing to hide behind as she brought her 2025 record, The Eldest Daughter, on the road.
The bright white bandage on her hand was immediately noticeable when she took the stage, but quickly forgotten, as she launched into the album's opening track, “Florida Man.” Gatlin's Florida roots were on full display, with plastic orange trees and an inflatable alligator adorning the stage. Surprisingly, she did still end up playing guitar on a few songs, using only three fingers to fret the chords.
What makes Gatlin special is the way she's able to connect to fans. Her lyrics are autobiographical stories of queer love and relationships to her family. When I saw the audience singing along, it wasn't just because the songs are catchy, but because the stories themselves are relatable. Before performing “LOVE ME,” she warned us that the song is emotional to her and that she might cry. As she sang “Maybe I don't want your prayers / I just want you to love me,” I could see the emotional wave spread through the crowd. It's a powerful lyric when you hear it on the album, but it hit differently in person. Another emotional peak came during “The Hill,” a song about her separation from the church, when she stepped away from the mic to sing the final chorus without amplification. Her powerful voice carried through the silence of the room, making it feel even smaller and more intimate than it already was.
By the end of the night, it was clear that attending a Gatlin show is about more than just the music. She has become a vital voice in the queer community, turning her set at The Masquerade into a shared ritual of storytelling and catharsis. If the injury was meant to
sideline Gatlin, it ultimately proved that her voice is the only instrument she needs.
Article and photos by Joe Chiarella. Please credit @joe.takes.pictures or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
