Thought's on the Jean Tour show Minneapolis
I've been a fan of Yebba for a minute, and she always struck me as an artist whose recordings simply don't do her justice, so I was excited for the opportunity to finally see and hear her live. Unfortunately, the show ended up being a little disappointing.
I’ll say straightaway that it seemed like she wasn’t feeling very well that night, and as a full-time musician, I totally understand the feeling of being burnt out and still having to push through and be a professional. (And I’ll state the obvious: I’m in the classical music sphere, so I’m nowhere near her level or facing anything close to the kinds of pressures and challenges she has to deal with.) Still, the overall energy of the performance felt pretty lackluster. This became especially noticeable through how often she directed the microphone out to the audience to sing lengthy portions of songs, and when she did sing, her mic seemed really buried in the mix compared to the band and even the BGVs.
I was really happy with the set list, though. She played many of the songs I love right at the top of the show, and the arrangements themselves were really interesting.
The other thing I’ll mention is that the lighting didn’t fit the vibe of the music at all. I don’t know if her production changes from venue to venue, but the stage was backlit the entire time, creating a moody, somber atmosphere that felt oddly at odds with the warmth and soulfulness of Yebba’s songs. I really wanted to see faces up there.
Anyway, it didn’t quite land for me, but if I have the opportunity to see her again in the future, I’d absolutely give her live show another chance. Hopefully she’ll have a little more energy next time.