Detroit, MI // September 26, 2019
Outside the sold out El Club in Southwest Detroit, fans of every age lined up early to obtain a prime vantage point in the cozy music venue. The front of the line consisted mostly of fans who had traveled hours to attend Norwegian singer Sigrid’s first headlining North American tour and first ever Motown performance. Attendees mingled as the gates opened and the line moved into the open courtyard decorated with wall murals that matched the ethnic vibe of Mexicantown. Once inside you could feel the anticipation grow as it got closer to the start time.
First, Manhattan native and Mom + Pop Music artist Raffaella Meloni (who goes by just her first name) took to the stage. With the way her talent was clearly evident, it is no surprise to learn she grew up the daughter of a music lawyer and a writer, and started taking classical piano and singing lessons from an early age. Also evident was her eclectic range of influences which include Billie Holiday, St. Vincent, and Regina Spektor.
After her first song, Raffaella jokingly told the crowd that its title was “Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherf*cker!” which immediately drew me in since I'm a fan of both the movie “Die Hard” and the actor “Bruce Willis” (the latter was the actual title of the song). She quickly discarded her shoes and walked barefoot and up on her tiptoes as a “Ballerina” which coincidentally is the title of her newest EP. The 23 year old charmed the crowd by dancing and entertaining her way through her set which included catchy songs such as ”Sororicide” and "NASA’s Fake." Raffaella was the perfect choice as support on this tour.
After a quick setup change in the cramped performance space, the buzz grew. The room lights went dark while bright red lights shone upstage as the four-person backing band got into place. Sigrid rushed onto the stage in front of the waiting audience filled with custom made t-shirts and joyful grins and she got things started with her newest single and tour name “Sucker Punch.”
“Things then slowed down with “In Vain.” Her raspy vocals and striking lyrics (“So don't you stay if you don't mean it / If you don't feel it and just f*ck me up again”) seemed to touch several who may have used her music at one point to heal from a breakup. Next came the dance party and singalong with the first few bars of “Schedules” and just when I thought the crowd couldn’t sing any louder, "Don't Kill My Vibe" proved me wrong.”
The performance then took a more intimate feel with “Level Up” which was accompanied only by her guitarist Sondre and backup vocalist Kristina. Sigrid also took to the keyboard to play a beautiful ballad titled “Dynamite” and again, the moving lyrics (“You're as safe as a mountain but know that I am dynamite”) resonated with the attentive audience. The 16-song show ended as upbeat as it began with a pseudo encore of “Strangers” and “Don’t Feel Like Crying.”
Sigrid had quite the knack for keeping the crowd as engaged as if they were at a best friend’s coffee shop performance which was a refreshing experience that could be enjoyed by people of all ages. She had actually planned to become a teacher or lawyer, thinking a career in music would be too uncertain. The only thing we can be certain of is that on her next tour, she will be selling out venues at least three times this size.
To learn more about Sigrid, check out: www.thisissigrid.com
To learn more about Raffaella, check out: www.rafflalala.com
For photos from this show, go to: Sonic Live Media Photo Gallery
Written by: Attila Hardy, Sonic Live Media
Sigrid’s Set List:
Sucker Punch
In Vain
Schedules
Plot Twist
Business Dinners
Sight Of You
Don’t Kill My Vibe
Level Up
Go To War
High Five
Mine Right Now
Dynamite
Never Mine
Strangers
Don’t Feel Like Crying