By Jacob Pellegrino
Kali Uchis has already shown the world her talent as a performer throughout her career and during her Coachella performance in April. For her show at 713 Music Hall, Uchis performed her music to a sold out concert hall with an engaged crowd hanging on to every word.
Uchis’ show was the most packed I’ve ever seen 713. Sold out months in advance, the concert drew a line of ticket holders that wrapped not only around the venue but to the back of Post, an attached dining hall. People came out dressed up in high heels and outfits evocative of the attitude Uchis conveys in her music, ready for an unforgettable night of music and visual spectacle.
The show began with opener RAYE, a British singer-songwriter whose music crosses a range of genres, including dance, R&B, and pop. RAYE recently gained more creative freedom of her music after leaving a restrictive label and performed tracks that addressed a wide range of topics. One of the most striking was “Ice Cream Man,” a powerful song that addresses her experience with sexual assault and its after-effects. RAYE talked a lot to the audience about her life and the meaning of the songs she played.
Kali Uchis’ stage setup included the three arches and steps up to those that were seen in her Coachella performance, which gave a lot of room for visual layering with the backup dancers. The show began with an extended intro, juxtaposing images of the sun and rain on the backing display. Then those visuals changed to a heart, and backup dancers led a Uchis up to the center arch, blocked from the audience with what looked like palm leaves. They pulled the leaves aside and Uchis emerged. She and her dancers danced to “Frikitona” by Plan B before opening with “Telepatía” from her album “Sin Miedo.”
Her Houston stop was the second show on Kali Uchis’ “Red Moon in Venus” tour. Songs from her most recent album, for which the tour is named, such as “Moonlight” and “I Wish You Roses” were intoxicating live with the power of their melodies only increased by the live atmosphere. As it was so early in the tour Uchis repeatedly told the audience that she was still working on the setlist, thanking the packed house for being there and enjoying her music.
Kali Uchis interacted with the audience a lot throughout the show, speaking about family members telling her that there were more attractive and better singers than her in an effort to stop her from pursuing music. However, Uchis drove home, “they’re not you,” encouraging the crowd to pursue their own passions and not listen to those who doubt them. With her Colombian heritage, Uchis also discussed how happy she was to see so many Latinos come to the show to support her.
Throughout the show, Uchis’ dreamy music combined with a considered stage design and choreography to create a memorable experience that saw both her Spanish and English language music shine.
