After five years of anxious waiting, I finally had the amazing privilege of seeing one of my favorite singers, Holly Miranda, perform live this past Tuesday night.
My adoration for Miranda was sparked late into my sophomore year of high school when my love for sad, lovesick music was in full swing. At that time, I was listening to City and Colour and Tegan and Sara on repeat. Dallas Green’s, Bring Me Your Love (2008), and Tegan and Sara’s, The Con (2007) and Sainthood (2009) were constantly spinning, but, craving more, I dove into the sea of Youtube clips from their live concert performances.
It was one of these music binges that I discovered Miranda’s songs nestled into the list of recommended videos, since she was touring with both Tegan and Sara and City and Colour at the time. After clicking on some of Miranda’s covers of Lauryn Hill, Etta James, and Yoko Ono, I found another artist to add to my lovesick playlist.
Miranda’s debut album, The Magicians Private Library is layered with hypnotic guitar awoken by her astoundingly passionate and pained voice. Experiencing her music live at the Rock and Roll hotel brought these notes to life in a way no record, MP3, or Youtube video ever could, and completely blew me away.
The venue wasn’t full, but I could tell each and every person there was a true Miranda fan. The show kicked off with the twisting guitar riff and soothing vocals of “Mark My Words”- my favorite song of her new, self-titled album- and continued with several more new songs including “Come On” and “Everlasting.”
The saxophonist in her four-piece band accompanied Miranda on nearly every song. The sax added a resonating hum behind Miranda’s vocals and gave a smooth texture to her songs, which seem far more authentic than the jaded, indie pop that’s been released in the past few years. This is, no doubt, due to Miranda’s delicate voice and penetrating lyrics which carry far more weight than much of today’s emotionally devoid and lackadaisical music.
Miranda’s unique emotional tension carried over even when delivering the lyrics of other musicians like Yoko Ono. A soft spot is hit every time Miranda breathes out the lyrics “Nobody sees you like I do” in such tender relief.
Miranda treated the audience to covers on Tuesday, as well as some of her older music, all of which the audience knew by heart. Take their passionate crooning on “Waves” for example, a song that came out five years ago but that I still get lost in during every listen.
The show finished with an astounding final encore of an TLC’s Waterfalls. Every word to the 90s classic was rapped with precision and with a huge smile on Miranda’s face.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Miranda will pick up steam after her first album release since 2008, and I have faith that I’ll be seeing her at a far bigger venue next time she rolls into town.