W♥M

Flashback: Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (12 Oct 2008)

Setlist Here I Am Effortless For Every Drop Who Knows After All No Matter What Walk Away Running Burn Brightly Soft Machine Tonight You Belong to Me (Patience and Prudence cover) Robin In The Snow Fire Borderline -- Encore -- Here To There Read More Sonya Kitchell Sonya Kitchell had the world at her feet, moving 100,000 copies of her debut album, Words Came Back, and appearing on national television ("Late Night With David Letterman", "Craig Ferguson", CNN) and radio (NPR's "All Things Considered"). ....

American singer/songwriter Sonya Kitchell started off strong with signing to Velour Records in 2004 and had an international hit album Words Came Back to Me.

After joining Herbie Hancock for a world tour in 2007, we find Kitchell finally releasing and promoting her second album This Storm in 2008 on Decca Records. That’s when we saw Sonya Kitchell stopping by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis on October 12, 2008.

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Sonya Kitchell played an intimate show at the ever-classy Varsity Theater. Admittedly, it's one of the best-looking venues in Minneapolis, and I just love all the old fashion theater feel to the place. I felt more comfortable at this place, than say that sold-out Cold War Kids show a few days ago.

She has a full backing band, including Brad Barr (who warmed up the crowd with his own set of songs, using an interesting technique of making his acoustic guitar sounds electric). The bassist is producer Malcolm Burn and I think that the drummer is actually Brad's brother, Andrew Barr.

Some of the highlight of the show was when Brad played around on the (working) prop piano during a song and towards the end of the set, there was a couple that joined them on stage (sitting on a couch).

Setlist

The audience seem to really get into "Here To There" with clapping (and also note it's not on the Set List). My favorite performance was the more upbeat "Fire", which sounds fantastic live. She really gets into it shouting 'fire' as she falls back from the mic.

I also really enjoyed the cover of "You Belong To Me". Their version is more playful and sounds like a dialogue between Kitchell and Brad.

Catch her on the rest of her tour - where she's doing at least four Californian dates. Her latest album, This Storm, came out on Decca Records in early September and available at most retail location.

Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (12 Oct 2008)

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Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (10/12/2008)

Sonya Kitchell-Here To There Sonya Kitchell   Sonya Kitchell at the Varsity Theater (10/12/08) ♥ photo by vu

Sonya Kitchell Set List ♥ Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (10/12/08) Tour Dates 10/15/08 The Fox Theatre And Cafe W/The Slip Boulder, CO 10/16/08 The Walnut Room W/The Slip Denver, CO 10/17/08 Belly Up Aspen, CO 10/18/08 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT 10/21/08 Tractor Tavern W/The Slip Seattle, WA 10/22/08 Doug Fir Lounge W/The Slip Portland, OR 10/24/08 The Independent W/The Slip San Francisco, CA 10/25/08 SOHO Music Club Santa Barbara, CA 10/26/08 Roxy Theatre W/The Slip Los Angeles, CA 10/27/08 Belly Up Tavern W/The Slip Solana Beach, CA 10/28/08 Club Congress W/The Slip Tucson, AZ 10/30/08 The Parish W/The Slip Austin, TX 11/01/08 Smith’s Olde Bar W/The Slip Atlanta, GA 11/02/08 3rd & Lindsley W/The Slip Nashville, TN Read More Sonya Kitchell http://weheartmus... Sonya Kitchell had the world at her feet, moving 100,000 copies of her debut album, Words Came B...

Sonya Kitchell played an intimate show at the ever classy Varsity Theater. Admittedly, it's one of the best looking venues in Minneapolis, and I just love all the old fashion theater feel to the place. I felt more comfortable at this place, than say that sold-out Cold War Kids show a few days ago.

She has a full backing band, including Brad Barr (who warmed up the crowd with his own set of songs, using an interesting technique of making his acoustic guitar sounds electric). The bassist is producer Malcolm Burn and I think that the drummer is actually Brad's brother, Andrew Barr.

Some of the highlight of the show was when Brad played around on the (working) prop piano during a song and towards the end of the set, there was a couple that joined them on stage (sitting on a couch).

The audience seem to really get into "Here To There" with clapping (and also note it's not on the Set List). My favorite performance was the more upbeat "Fire", which sounds fantastic live. She really gets into it shouting 'fire' as she falls back from the mic.

I also really enjoyed the cover of "You Belong To Me". Their version is more playful and sounds like a dialogue between Kitchell and Brad.

Catch her on the rest of her tour - where she's doing at least four Californian dates. Her latest album, This Storm, came out on Decca Records in early September and available at most retail location.

Links: sonyakitchell.com myspace.com/sonyakitchell

 10/13/2008 09:17:16  ♥ written by vu ()

Sonya Kitchell

Sonya Kitchell-Here To There Sonya Kitchell Tour Dates 09/24/08 Higher Ground South Burlington, VT* 09/25/08 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA* 09/26/08 The Big Easy Portland, ME* 09/27/08 Colony Cafe Woodstock, NY* 09/30/08 Iron Horse Northampton, MA* 10/01/08 Bowery Ballroom New York* 10/02/08 8X10 Baltimore, MD* 10/03/08 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA* 10/04/08 IOTA Club & Cafe Arlington, VA* 10/05/08 Mountain Stage Charleston, WV* 10/07/08 Club Cafe Pittsburgh, PA* 10/08/08 The Music Mill Indianapolis, IN* 10/09/08 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI* 10/10/08 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI* 10/11/08 Schubas’ Chicago, IL* 10/12/08 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN* 10/15/08 The Fox Theatre And Cafe Boulder, CO* 10/16/08 The Walnut Room Denver, CO* 10/17/08 Belly Up Aspen, CO 10/18/08 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT 10/21/08 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA* 10/22/08 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR* 10/24/08 The Independent San Francisco, CA* 10/26/08 Roxy Theatre Los Angeles, CA* 10/27/08 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA* 10/28/08 Club Congress Tucson, AR* 10/30/08 The Parish Austin, TX* 11/01/08 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA* 11/02/08 3rd & Lindsley Nashville, TN* * with The Slip Discography [2005] Cold Day EP [2006] Words Came Back To Me [2008] This Storm See Also Adele http://weheartmus... They are calling Adele Adkins (or better known as Adele) the new "Amy" (Winehouse). It is no sur...

Sonya Kitchell had the world at her feet, moving 100,000 copies of her debut album, Words Came Back, and appearing on national television ("Late Night With David Letterman", "Craig Ferguson", CNN) and radio (NPR's "All Things Considered").

She was 16.

She's now a little older, being 19 and cutting her sophomore album, This Storm this September 2^nd on Velour/Decca Records.

Although I am not familiar with her earlier works, having read all her accomplishments, I was rather impressed. Especially because I have always known Decca Records, in the US anyway, as a major player in the popular jazz music field.

The first thing you'll noticed about Kitchell's voice, is that it very saucy. Her songs seems to be observation of and about people she knows.

"Here To There" is about someone that Kitchell is in love with, but he lives across the sea. You do get a sense of it by listening to the lyrics: "Your sun rises, mine is sunset/I promise you I won't forget ... How do we get ourselves from here to there?" At 18 when she wrote that, she seems mature enough to accept that she doesn't know what the future will bring, even stating that "there are many years to go".

She seems to really like that song, as it was hand-picked to be the lead single from This Storm. Personally, I think there are some better and catchier song on the album, like "Every Drop" (I really dig this song) and "Fire".

Naturally, being a folk-pop singer-songwriter, her storytelling songs are with the best of them. You wonder about some of the stories behind songs like "Soldier's Lament" (which is sung through the eyes of a soldier, talking to his son).

Again, impressed at this very young musician. If she's this good, at this age, one can only imagine what she would be like at the prime of her songwriting career.

Currently, Kitchell will be setting out on tour to promote This Storm, out next Tuesday. She's been recently been performing live with legend Herbie Hancock (Dave just recently talked about Herbie on our last podcast). Her upcoming tour will be with The Slip, additional details on site.w♥m.

PS, this is a true story, but I fell asleep listening to The Storm on my iPod with headphones. As I was drifting off, I was thinking how Kitchell sounds so much like Beth Orton on certain songs - that I had a dream seeing Orton doing a soundcheck in St Paul. I had an awkward moment trying to find a W♥M card to give to Orton, and then left to buy bread & a bottle of whiskey. There was a Republican convention outside so I made it to a crowded white-sand beach (which is funny as the Mississippi doesn't offer that beach environment) and then I woke up, with my headphones still clinging to my head with Kitchell on repeat. Anyway, weird dream.

Links: sonyakitchell.com myspace.com/sonyakitchell