Seats are really not a big deal.

You sit in them at work, airplanes, and the DMV, but, for some reason, seeing them at The Sinclair stressed people out, myself included. The tangible thoughtfulness of a seated show like Natalie Prass’s built up to be something beautiful, but it took some time to find the courage to walk inside, beginning with The Sinclair itself. Luckily, a half full room witnessed the delicate ins, outs, and trimmings of Prass’s mastery.

Once everyone stumbled into their seat, surveying their spot and the potential for an awkward view, the ease set in with the folky Loamlands. Showing their North Carolina roots, Loamlands’ country-tinged, shiver inducing harmonies were something anyone could appreciate. It was difficult not to draw comparisons to the vibes of Lilith Fair and Newport Folk Festival, their vocals bringing up similar summery feelings of instant satisfaction. Although the band shares some instrumental aspects of Natalie Prass, they stake a vastly different outcome in a performance.

A show by Prass is taken as an opportunity to share the textures of a song that might not have necessarily been taken into consideration with a listen to the recorded versions. Trading some of the more comforting upbeat instrumentals of “Your Fool”, with a tender depth, the song threw a more direct hit and shaped the show for reflective change.

In the same way, Prass can take a bummer of a song and bring it to something that feels like more of a conquered hurdle. Her bubbly version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence”, challenged the audience’s perspective and transported to a much different location. The whole night consisted of these twists, grasping simultaneously at familiarity and the unknown.

“Christy” took modern reality to a dark fairytale, exposing the pain of knowing that your love is threatened by another woman. Unfortunately, this situation happens all too often, but there’s another songstress whom earned stardom sharing a similar story of the other woman: Dolly Parton. It’s no coincidence that Prass felt the urge to detail her similar pain, “When I moved to Nashville, I learned that country isn’t all bad and unfortunately I had my own ‘Jolene’.” She then paced to the side and firmly spoke, “Fuck that bitch. Just kidding… but no, really!”

The harsh words of the smooth moving songstress caused a double take and resounding laughter. It was as though Prass was transformed throughout the night on stage. Maybe it was the musical journey that she offers or maybe it was her willingness to share her ‘Missed Connections’ story when she worked at Trident as a shell-necklace-wearing Berklee student, but Prass definitely bonded a trust that night.