"This s new type of set so I may mess things up" uttered Indigo De Souza during her Thalia Hall set. This playful warning was understandable as this show was the kickoff for her tour in support of her latest album Precipice. With so much excitement and freshness imbued into the evening, missteps are expected. While there were a few, you can chalk them up to just being excited to share her fantastic songs. it only added to Indigo De Souza's inherent charm and resilience that made the show such a great time.
Opener Mothé, who would later share the stage with De Souza, started off the night with an energetic performance. Mothé's sound is a very pristine pop with a few experimental dalliances that had the crowd completely enamored. A few of those experimental sounds were downplayed a bit in favor of the more brilliant pops. The set at times felt a little too polished, almost embodying the exact thing Mothé is tearing down on "Total Popstar." However, it seemed to work perfectly for the tracks as it didn't stop the crowd from dancing and singing along to nearly every song. That included De Souza who was in the middle of the crowd enjoying the set herself, much to the surprise and enjoyment of the fans around her.
That communal energy transferred to the stage quite well when it came time for Indigo De Souza's headlining set. Songs off Precipice took the spotlight right off the bat with "Be My Love" and "Crush" sandwiching 2023 album All of This Will End's "Wasting Your Time." The lush vibes of the latest songs worked well with the more rocking moments of the earlier tracks, something that continually happened throughout the 18 song setlist.
Even with that early warning in play, De Souza and crew were right on the mark throughout the set. If there were any missteps it was due to the excitement of performing. "We accidentally skipped one, didn't have to tell you that but I wanted to let you in" she said after "Smog" before jumping into"Pretty Pictures". A little later she introduced Mothé for a duet song early as well, really anticipating the fantastic "Serious". When that song's time finally it came it was a lovely highlight as the song intertwined both performers' voices beautifully.
De Souza's wonderful range was in full effect during this tour kickoff. While much of her songs feature aches and yearnings of the heart, they reach far beyond the exceptions that come from indie rock and electropop. "Heartbreaker", which she readily admits that she wrote days after a breakup as an attempt to synthesize all that heartache into a song, is more akin to an alt-country song than anything in her catalog. "Always" on the other hand starts off like a dreamy lullaby before transforming into an impassioned cry for a father that wasn't there for her. Then a song like "Real Pain" comes along with De Souza's vocals going from completely wild and visceral to unbelievably emotive.
After such a full and satisfying set, De Souza ushered everyone home with a crowd favorite. Off I Love My Mom, "Take off Ur Pants" blasted through Thalia Hall with every last bit of energy she and her band had. The crowd understandably bounced and sang along to De Souza's early hit about depressive cycles and self-deprecating habits that sounds like a grateful release live. "Now that everyone's gone, I can tell you it hurts/Honey, I am just like you." The lyrics rang loud and true, hopefully a little less tragically than the song implies. Given just how many smiles were on display, I can safely say we were all at a better place after such a fun set.
All photos by Julian Ramirez.
