Concert Recap: Sarah Kinsley Leaves New York City in Awe
A weeknight show did not stop excited concertgoers from filling the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY on November 13. On Monday night, fans lined up outside the venue to see Chinese American singer-songwriter Sarah Kinsley perform her 1.5-hour set, focused on her new EP titled Ascension.
Walking into the venue, previously known as Northsix, fans were met with an aesthetically lit-up brick hallway leading to two sets of stairs. The sound of muffled music from either side hit their eardrums, bringing forth a nostalgic feeling like walking into the memory of what a classic music bar felt like back in the day.
Just as doors opened at 7 p.m., a quarter of the floor was filled with Sarah Kinsley fans, while others gathered on the balconies above. As the clock approached 8, more and more attendees filled the space, antsy to see the artist.
Great Opener for a Great Show
Before Kinsley’s performance, the crowd was welcomed by spiritual soul singer duendita from Queens, NY. The independent artist combined sound manipulation techniques, along with an astonishing vocal range — all live through the use of equipment — to wow the audience, many of whom may have been discovering her for the first time. At one point, one could hear a frozen sample of her voice slide up, down, up, and down again.
The crowd looked up excitedly as it appeared that duendita was having a lot of fun on stage. “They told me to do an upbeat set, but I decided to put one emo song on anyways,” the artist said before queuing her first full track.
Duendita performed various tracks for 30 minutes, moving through a range of emotions. She can manipulate her voice both digitally and physically. From a deep, breathy tone to a higher, nasally output, duendita put on a performance that captivated the audience.
Say Hello to Sarah!
A familiar instrumental filled the room after a drummer, guitarist, and keyboardist entered the stage. Immediately, fans were able to recognize the tune and turned their heads to the band. Kinsley ran up to the mic to begin the performance. The crowd erupted with excitement, cheering like this was the moment they’d been waiting for their whole lives. The energy of the room was uplifted as she graced the venue with her presence.
Kinsley seemed to know her audience too well; from what they wanted, to how they felt. While she performed upbeat hits like “Oh No Darling!” and “Karma,” the audience connected with Kinsley — jumping in the crowd with their hands in the air as she twirled and danced on stage. She also approached the keyboard to perform her downbeat, melodic tracks such as “I’m Not a Mountain,” or “Ascension” — the title track of her latest EP.
The Queen of Fan Interaction
During the concert, Kinsley walked over to a piece of equipment similar to a sampler MIDI keyboard and began to create a beat. She turned the microphone to the audience after telling them to sing a specific note. The frequency filled the room and she got her sample. The crowd gasped and cheered after she began playing her song with the voices she had just collected, transitioning into the next tune. Kinsley made a lot of eye contact and gave out many cute smiles at fans throughout the concert, taking advantage of such an intimate venue.
Witnessing Kinsley perform on stage, you can truly feel the connection she has with her audience. Her music has a way of hitting you in the heart — right where it needs to. When the music slowed down, the audience did as well, singing along. When it picked up, fans smiled and danced together. Every word of each song was sung by the entire audience as they held each other and rhythm took over their bodies. Seeing this in her crowd, Kinsley’s face lit up — presumably due to experiencing a feeling incomparable to any other.
Kinsley surprised fans toward the concert’s end after telling the attendees that they had to guess the song correctly once it began. When the band started playing the track, it was immediately recognizable as a special cover of the ‘80s hit, “Take On Me” by a-ha. On previous stops of her tour, Kinsley included throwback-esque surprise covers in every set. Everyone was very excited to hear such a familiar tune from their favorite artist as a surprise!
Once Is Never Enough
Toward the second half of the set, attendees began to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music. But Kinsley knew how to keep the energy high and fans engaged. She performed her song “Cypress,” from her 2022 Cypress EP. The atmosphere during this performance was deeply touching.
The lighting was magical-looking and you could see the dust particles in the air like she was performing in outer space. Paired with her beautiful voice and harmony, the ‘80s-inspired instrumental and deep bass filled the room. The dark, yet upbeat tune brought palpable emotion out of the crowd as Kinsley moved theatrically on stage, interacting with the guitarist.
After a few last songs, Kinsley and the band ran off stage very quickly — but fans wanted more, chanting “Encore! Encore!” for nearly two minutes! Granting their wish, Kinsley ran back on stage with the instrumentalists to sing a special encore of her song “Oh No Darling!” from the Ascension EP. This performance was exceptionally hyper — with louder instrumentals from the band and more energy from the audience. It marked a fantastic end to the show, leaving fans with one more taste of what they came to the venue to see.
Enchanting the Crowd
Writing and producing the music herself, it is clear that Kinsley’s work comes from the heart, similarly traveling to the hearts of the listeners. The dedicated crowd expressed both excitement and sadness throughout the show. Couples attended the concert with their arms wrapped around each other, and friends hugged and jumped up and down together during the upbeat tunes. Attendees were captivated by Kinsley’s onstage motion as she twirled, jumped, and even went on the ground at times.
Many fans were impressed by Kinsley’s live vocals. Outside of the venue, one fan stated that the vocals were “nearly identical” to the studio recordings and that they appreciated the way her songs were arranged to be on the rawer side. Fans began to make their way home, anticipating Kinsley’s future return to NYC, post her second show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg scheduled the next day.
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Want more of Sarah Kinsley? Check out our recent Artist Spotlight with her, here!
