Music Runs The City

Kimbra Shines In Her Own Spotlight at The Metro Chicago

If you have listened to Gotye’s smash hit “Somebody That I Used To Know,” then you may be familiar with New Zealand native Kimbra Johnson, who sung as the powerful female lead. Now, Kimbra is ready to make a name for herself in the states by going on her first headlining US tour to promote her release of her debut album, “Vows.”

If you have heard Gotye’s smash hit “Somebody That I Used To Know,” then you may be familiar with New Zealand native Kimbra Johnson, who contributes the powerful female lead vocal. Now, Kimbra is making a name for herself by headlining her first U.S. tour to promote her debut album, Vows.

Outside the Metro on Oct. 17, fans patiently waited in the pouring Chicago rain for the doors to open. The Metro is one of Chicago’s premiere underground venues and is credited for helping to launch the careers of Chicagoans Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins and Veruca Salt.

Kimbra bounced onstage wearing an eclectic purple-and-green costume reminiscent of both Miss Chiquita and a fairy-tale princess. Her full grass skirt moved feverishly as she danced, creating incredible energy for the crowd to feed off. Kimbra smiled brightly as she sang “Limbo,” an upbeat jam built from various vocal loops. Inspired by the looping techniques of Björk and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Kimbra utilized her voice as an instrument to create soulful harmonies and percussive accents. The audience became part of the performance as they clapped along to the beat.

Besides her eclectic influences, you cannot help but notice her sultry tone and jazzy phrasing in her voice. Kimbra showcased her soulful talents during a cover of Nina Simone’s “Plain Gold Ring,” which is built on soulful looped harmonies. However, Kimbra wouldn’t have been able to do her skillfully timed loops without her amazing backing band whom were consistent and energetic throughout the night.

While Kimbra’s influences are eclectic, I couldn’t help but particularly notice the sultry, jazzy phrasing in her voice. These soulful talents were showcased during a cover of Nina Simone’s “Plain Gold Ring.” When she wasn’t captivating the audience between songs with her sweet personality and infectious accent, Kimbra was moving around the stage with a natural sense of control and sex appeal. It very much reminded me of the stage prowess exhibited by Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine.

Once Kimbra left the stage, the crowd went ear-piercingly wild for an encore. The singer obliged with the ballad “Withdraw” and the soulful funk jam “Call Me,” the latter of which featured the Stepkids, who opened the concert earlier that evening with their indie funk tunes and psychedelic visuals.

At 22, Kimbra is not your typical pop star. She doesn’t use choreography or pyrotechnics to enhance her performance, and she doesn’t need them. I am really looking forward to seeing how she develops as an artist throughout her career. I also would not be surprised if she gets nominated for a GRAMMY award with Gotye in February. Kimbra has immense potential to become a megastar act with the skills to match. With a voice that is way beyond her years, Kimbra’s future appears bright.

The Set List

Limbo

Posse

Good Intent

Plain Gold Ring (Nina Simone Cover)

Two Way Street

Marigold

Old Flame

Warrior

Settle Down

Something In The Way You Are

Cameo Lover