With almost 8 billion people roaming the Earth, it can be difficult to find purpose and meaning amongst the masses. At her first show in Colorado, Weyes Blood (pronounced Wize Blood) tackled the anguish of finding purpose on Friday night. To a sold-out Gothic Theater, the singer-songwriter reassured the crowd that it’s not just them but it’s everybody feeling the weight of societal pressures, love, climate change, etc.. While those feelings can create a sense of loneliness, it’s that collective isolation that makes people feel never truly alone. For a single night, Weyes Blood gave Denver something to believe in.
An electronic keyboard and a microphone were all music producer, Vagabon, needed to set the reflective tone. Colorful synths, deep drum patterns and a smooth voice filled the theater with a gentle welcome of emotional tunes for people to sink their teeth into. The New York-based artist played a plethora of new songs from an upcoming album, giving fans a taste of what is to come.
Throughout the set the multi-instrumentalist picked up a bass guitar to strip things down for a few emotive performances. The stand out from the 45 minutes set was the uptempo, melancholic, “Water Me Down.” The beat hit deeper in the heart as fans danced around to the singer telling a story of feeling watered down by a friend or lover. Overall, the set took the crowd through a smooth set of emotional electronic music that fans cheered on every second they could.
After a 30-minute intermission, candles were lit and Weyes Blood appeared from the smoke to front her four-piece band on stage wearing a white dress and cape. Starting with the thesis of the show, “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” snapped the crowd into a feeling of belonging. The piano, drums and synths played softly as Weyes Blood crooned. Her voice gave the crowd chills as the song continued to build.
The indie folk tune then erupted into a whirling transcendent song remarking the human condition before floating back down to its subtle beginnings. This formula occurred throughout the set, allowing fans to settle into each existential journey that the singer proposed. Denver was more than willing to embark on these journeys as they swayed in amazement at the singer’s voice, instrumentation and witty nature.
For a moment time stood still as the chamber pop crooner performed, “God Turn Me Into A Flower ” with a visual showcase presented on the screen created by BBC documentary producer, Adam Curtis. Vintage videos and images flickered on the backdrop as the singer soared through the melody creating the most interesting moment of the night. As the music intensified so did the visuals in both black and white and color. At its conclusion, the crowd soaked in the information from the ethereal singer sifting through for meaning.
Between songs, Weyes Blood was sarcastic as ever. Before hopping into “Everyday,” she turned to ask the crowd if they were ready to mosh. She continued stating, “I better see everyone shoulder to shoulder.” The crowd didn’t mosh, but it did cheer for many minutes after the band ended the song on an instrumental build-up: rock and roll at its finest.
With flashing lights in the background matching the drums, the crowd was struck by the change of pace, awakened with bright eyes and attentive ears. Again with the witty remarks, the singer asked the crowd if they were “ready to rave to some sick house beats.” Even though there were no house beats, the song “Twin Flame” carried a smoother, lighter type of electronic beat that stemmed away from the indie rock drums that the crowd might have expected.
The most enigmatic part of the show came with the opening notes of “Movies.” In true form, the nearly 6-minute song started out soft and slow, easing the crowd into the ballad before jolting fans into the whirling ending. Light flickered in the back as the singer twirled her white cape in the wind.
For the climax, Weyes Blood picked up a bouquet of flowers and began throwing them into the crowd one by one. Just in time for the ending, she belted out the final notes as strings gently placed the crowd back on its feet with a light turned on her chest that set her heart aglow.
To end the show, “Something To Believe” played out. For a second, fans were too focused on listening to the singer to even sing along, although the shock eventually gave way to a unified voice of excited fans. Marked as the “thing we’ve been talking about all night” the song drove the show full circle bringing us back to its original message of finding purpose. Weyes Blood’s voice throughout was the standout of the show, sounding better live than on record. Her voice soared through belts that could fill stadiums. On Friday night fans tuned in for a special treat as she performed for an hour and a half – giving on Denver something to believe.