Scottish singer
KT Tunstall is back with
Kin (Caroline/Sony Records), her fifth studio album and her first after her move to the U.S. She headlined the Fine Line Music Café on September 24th, on a very busy Saturday evening.
Opening the show will be Detroit’s
Mayaeni, singing songs from her
Elocution EP, starting with ‘Break Me’ and followed by ‘Shooter’.
You can tell that she is a talented guitarist with a slightly hippie singer / songwriter vibe that came off sounding like a female John Mayer or Gary Clark Jr... although her song ‘Heart’ sounded more mainstream pop than folk. Her set closer, ‘Million N' 1’ was co-written with former tour mate,
Macy Gray, and was a real crowd pleaser.
As we previously mentioned in
the podcast, we think that Mayaeni has the looks and sound that would have had Prince, if he was still alive, make a rare appearance to see her live set. In fact, her music impressed Jay Z enough that he signed her to his record label Roc Nation.
The last time
KT Tunstall headlined a show in Minneapolis was on October 5th, 2013, at the Cedar Cultural Center, when she was touring in support of her previous record
Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. Since October (or as we call it here, “Rocktober”) has always proved logistically challenging when it comes picking and choosing our shows, we didn’t get a chance to see her. However, the last time we saw her, it was at the Epic in
2010, which was one of our more memorable shows we covered.
Saturday, September 24th, proved to be quite a busy night, with Drive-By Truckers at First Avenue, How to Dress Well at 7th Street, and Bear’s Den at the Triple Rock. KT, well aware of our other choices, stated after the first song ‘If Only’, “You are now confined to the Fine Line and have forgo other options to be here. Anything can happen, good or bad! This is the one you have chosen.”
Throughout her set, KT had something to say about every one of her song. This is the type of funny stories or anecdotes that you would only get at a live show. For example, KT told us how she was at a music festival in Baltimore and Dave Grohl saw her and said to her, “‘Toadstool’, the first song on your second album rocks!!” He was referring to the song ‘Little Favours’ from
Drastic Fantastic.
Other things you found out during the show was after selling everything she own and moved to Venice Beach, Florida, that she was going to take an extended hiatus... like five or ten years. However, she was so inspired by her new environment that she started writing music again. She mentioned that her new record,
Kin, was inspired by Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, etc.
Highlights of her set was the way she medley in covers with her existing original songs. Songs like ‘Hold On’, mixed with
The Bangles’ ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ and hit song ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’ with
The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’ (complete with a kazoo) kept her songs fresh and fun.
The funny story about her biggest hit ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’, she said after moving to Florida, she walked by an Irish bar and heard the local bar band covering her song. The singer started shredding on the solo, and she locked eyes with the singer and gave him the A-Okay hand gesture. The punch line is, the band at the Irish bar, had no idea who she was.
As usual, KT thanked everyone for coming, particularly (jokingly) calling out the “Entire Norwegian Royal Family” who bought out the entire balcony and everyone that came to her show.
At the end of the show, KT thanked her keyboardist Rachel, bassist Dorley, and drummer Wesley. All the band came to the front to take a bow after the final song.
KT continues her world tour, in support of
Kin. The Tony Hoffer-produced album was recorded in Los Angeles, and followed her
Golden State EP.
Kin proved to be KT Tunstall’s fourth top ten album in the UK (sharing with
Eye to the Telescope,
Drastic Fantastic and
Tiger Suit for the honor).
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