Boston Busts A Move With Kiesza
Tessa Roy ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Assistant Editor
Anyone who has visited the Royale Boston Nightclub can attest to its beauty. Its sparkling chandeliers, dimly colored lights, and high stage make it instantly memorable to those who enter its doors. It just looks like a place made for good times. But one’s experience at Royale can be truly special provided the right artist is gracing its stage. On this particular night, that artist was Kiesza.
It’s safe to say all concertgoers highly anticipate the entrance of the performer they’ve paid to see, but this crowd was really enthusiastic about seeing Kiesza. People giddily chatted about her as they waited for her to appear, proclaiming their love for her music, her voice, her dancing, and even her hair. Thus, the complete eruption of excited screaming and cheering when she made her entrance was not surprising.
Kiesza immediately matched the high energy of her admirers as she busted into her set. The room felt completely alive as the crowd grooved and sang along with “No Enemiez” and “Giant in My Heart.” Kiesza – who has said the 90s is one of her favorite time periods in regards to music – also included a fun montage of covers which included Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock’s “It Takes Two” and a funky version of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah,” among other classics from the decade.
After the lively portion of the throwback session, Kiesza cued for a temporary slowdown. “How about something on the piano?” she asked eagerly as she went to the keyboard at the back of the stage. The crowd approved, so she played her stripped down cover of Haddaway’s “What is Love?” This prompted a sudden silence. The dance hit everyone was used to hearing was now a soft, tender ballad. No one sang or danced this time, and instead focused on taking in Kiesza’s stunning voice. It was at this moment she showed her versatility as an artist. Not everyone has the skills or vocal chops to make such a transition, but Kiesza certainly does. She had no trouble when it came time to restore the previous energy level, closing out her set with the much anticipated “Hideaway.” The dance party resumed, and the crowd belted every “ooh” and “aah” in the song’s chorus.
Everything Kiesza had done seemed effortless. Her choreography was complex, yet she danced fluidly with confidence through every move. It wasn’t just during dance breaks where she exhibited her skill; for most of the night, she was actually dancing while singing. Simultaneously hitting a high note and a high kick was no problem for Kiesza. She was performing two difficult feats at once, yet carried both out so naturally. It was as if she was born to do this sort of multitasking.
Kiesza also wasn’t shy in giving back the love shown to her. “I want to touch all of you!” she giggled as she reached for the hands that were outstretched towards the stage. Once she had succeeded in touching nearly every hand in her path, she mentioned her time at Berklee College of Music and how excited she was to be back in Boston. “I feel like I’m home again,” she said with genuine sentimentality.
The crowd was sad to see Kiesza go, considering she was a on stage for a little less than an hour. However, no one appeared disappointed with her performance. Her Hideaway EP only consists of four songs and her full length album Sound of a Woman has not yet been released, so the short set was understandable. The crowd seemed to be aware of this, and are definitely aware of the fact Kiesza is one of the most promising artists to have emerged this year. It won’t be long before she returns with more catchy hits and killer choreography.
Check out Emertainment Monthly’s interview with Kiesza here and pick up Sound of a Woman when it drops on October 21st.