On Friday, February 17, the eclectic pop singer/songwriter Kimbra made a long-awaited return to Boston at Big Night Live. The evening was a deeply personal exploration of her latest album, A Reckoning.
The show began with a strong opening performance by Tei Shi, who joked about her relief that she was performing to an audience of more than 12 people. Self-deprecation aside, Tei Shi successfully warmed up the growing crowd and presented some of her new music along the way.
Kimbra stepped up next to deliver a potent performance of A Reckoning in full, with a few throwbacks to popular earlier works. She punctuated the night’s music with several monologues, inviting her audience into her vulnerability and thoroughly elaborating the emotional context of her songs. Kimbra’s thoughtful, multi-layered approach to her music also manifested quite literally, as she performed the song “Settle Down” from her debut album Vows over looping tracks that she created live on stage. Ultimately, the evening was an open connection between Kimbra and her audience, and her powerhouse performance was a perfect conduit for it.