INDIGO DE SOUZA LIGHTS UP UNION TRANSFER
The professional lighting equipment stood no comparison to the radiance that followed Indigo De Souza onstage at Philadelphia's Union Transfer. Her set flowed together with ease, like a portrait being painted in front of the crowd; a portrait of who De Souza is as an artist and a human.
Born in North Carolina, Indigo De Souza threads together her life experiences, love,loss and the physical and emotional joys and pains of growing up in her art. She was a teenager when she released her first track, Boys, to the world in March of 2018. She went on to release her debut album in June 2018 titled, I Love You Mom. Three more records have been created and put out into the world since then, most recently Precipice.
The Precipice Tour began mid-October in Chicago, Illinois and will run till mid-March. During this tour, De Souza shares the stage with drummer Lila Richardson, bassist Landon George and keyboardist and guitarist Mike Johnson. The group's friendship is evident with their chemistry on stage which only takes the performance to another level. From the main stage, to the side stage and all the way to the front of house, every person on the tour plays an integral part in curating the vibes of the show. Everyone has the same joy in creating a show that allows people to experience time away from the world and just listen to music that makes them feel. No matter the size of the venue, this vibe could not be shaken.
De Souza had artist and producer Mothé as the opening performance and it was the perfect fit. Not only did Mothé bring the crowd together with their experimental sounds that invite your body to move, but they made sure to let the crowd know how important and special it is to come together in times like this: creating a safe space for everyone in the room to be themselves. Mothé and their bandmate Tim Brown have a contagious amount of energy, loving every moment that they are on stage. Mothé set had the entire crowd jumping in unison, specifically during their song “BEAT, DRUGS, SEX, LOVE” from their most recent album Total Popstar.
When the first notes of De Souza’s opening song “Be My Love” began, many people in the room closed their eyes, feeling the music come through the speakers and run through their veins. While most of the setlist was songs off of her recently released album, De Souza took time to play some of her beloved tracks from previous tracks like “You Can Be Mean,” “Ghost” and “Darker Than Death.” Each member of the crowd moved in their own unique ways, expressing themselves like no one was watching, letting the music take over.
De Souza did a solo encore performance of “The Sun Is Bad,” a track off her first record I Love My Mom. This song was requested by a fan who was able to grab her attention and the crowd sang back the words with so much passion. “The sun just don't rise up for me this time / Sun just won't rise up for us tonight,” she sang beautifully.
There was a strong sense of community radiating through the crowd. Even if there was a stranger next to you, you felt connected to them through sound. De Souza's music is no stranger to bringing people together and evoking strong emotions. Starting on the first day of tour, De Souza used social media to encourage those attending her concerts to find a whiteboard with a daily question on it and answer it for her to share the next day. In Philadelphia, the question read, “What is the most important lesson you've learned so far in your life?” Fans crowded around the sign to fill the board and share their answers, a lot of them starting conversation with one another and making connections.
Indigo De Souza creates a safe space within her writing and her instrumentals which translate to every single live performance she does. Catch a show near you on the Precipice Tour here!
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