by Julia Tomlinson
Tuesday Night, I had the pleasure of seeing Bahari and Birdy perform live at the House of Blues in Cleveland.
The night kicked off with Bahari (meaning ocean in Swahili). Barhari is a group of young, talented ladies that will make you feel like you’re drinking out of a coconut while watching the colliding waves off the coast of California. Natalia and Sidney are both American and Ruby is Kenyan. They were not just a welcoming act for the night, but are a must-have for your summer jam playlist.
I had only been exposed to their music a few days prior to the concert, however they completely surpassed my expectations. The girls are in sync with each other on and off stage, so much so that you can clearly see the unwavering sisterly bond between them.
Bahari has a special high-energy stage presence and if audience members didn’t know who they were before, they definitely couldn’t forget them after. They danced together along to the music and were very enjoyable to watch perform. The house especially loved “Altar Of The Sun” and “California”.
The crowd showed a ton of support for the first song the girls wrote together, “Wild Ones”, which truly showcased the unparalleled power of their voices as they harmonized with each other.
Another crowd favorite was their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s, “The Chain”. Even my 63-year-old father (whom I dragged along for the show) really enjoyed the rendition of the song along with the rest of their performance.
The girls were so kind to me after their set and I was even able to talk to them about the band and their future plans. Sidney mentioned their influenced by the fun, beach-y vibe music from the 60s had. Their favorite part of touring is being able to play for and connect with many different audiences.
If you’d like a chance to see Bahari live, they’ll be touring with Selena Gomez later this year, which they are extremely excited about. Check out their tour dates here.
As for Birdy, I’m not sure any of the words I use to describe her performance will do her spectacular voice justice. The crowd was ready to go when she opened with “Growing Pains”.
I rarely get chills from music but her voice was so melodic, she poured her everything into every note, it was impossible not to get chills.
Birdy sings with so much raw emotion, you couldn’t help but sway along. Her voice resonated through the whole venue and her fans sang along to every word. She performed with so much passion and strength that night. I was so mesmerized, I almost forgot to take notes for this review!
Birdy sang several tunes off her album Beautiful Lies, including “Wild Horses”, “Unbroken”, and a crowd and my personal favorite “Terrible Love”.
Arguably, the best part of the show was the audience’s reaction to when she walked out on stage alone and played the first chords of “Skinny Love”, originally by sung by Bon Iver. Everyone in the crowd went nuts and made sure to treat every lyric with care; one could almost grasp the somber yet heartfelt tone her voice set. The girl standing next to me had tears streaming down her face and she smiled so wide and sung her heart out.
Despite her adorable shyness, Birdy has such an energetic, powerful voice that could touch anybody’s soul.
Bahari and Birdy are both extremely talented women who have undoubtedly made an impact on the music scene. Hearing these ladies live is an experience you’ll need to witness for yourself.
The crowd absolutely adored both acts and there was a seemingly endless line to buy merch after the show. I’m so thankful to Kryptonite Magazine for making it possible to send Shreya and I to this magnificent show.
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