COLUMBIAN QUEEN KALI UCHIS REIGNS OVER AUSTIN WITH SOLD OUT SHOW AT STUBBS
The backlit silhouette of Kali Uchis makes the crowd go wild before she even sings a word during her Thursday night headlining show at Stubbs in downtown Austin. The twenty-four-year-old Columbian-American queen sported an all denim outfit and luscious hair that swung below her knees. The set included fan favorites, as she fielded Twitter requests like Tyrant, Your Teeth in My Neck, and Miami.
The crowd at the concert was full of die-hard fans who were so excited to finally see Uchis perform live after her tour with Lana del Rey missed Austin a few years ago. The energy in Stubbs was electric as the crowd sang along to every word of her songs, and even took on Tyler the Creator's verse on "After the Storm" with impressive skill, proving just how dedicated they were to Uchis' music.
The highlight of the show was Uchis' in-depth explanations of her lyrics. Even though some of her most emotional songs were in Spanish, her explanations of fan-favorites were particularly poignant. Before performing "Killer," she shared the background and personal significance of the song, adding depth to the audience's understanding and appreciation of her music:
“I was in a relationship from ages 15-19, and basically it was one of those things that I feel like kept me out of trouble, but at the same time I would never really suggest it to anybody because I feel like you have so much growth you need to do. Realistically that’s just really hard to do when you’re with another person because they have their own insecurities and issues and you can't constantly be in tune with someone else when you have to nourish the person that you are. It’s different when you’re both ready and both have it together, then you can really love and support each other the way you should, but anyway, I guess it might be awkward if you’re here with your boyfriend or girlfriend, but it had to be said. Anyways I wrote this when I got out of that relationship. I felt like I was so used to reciprocating that energy that I became obsessed with the fact that it was over, and I thought my life was contingent on that person.”
Uchis' music plays like a unique blend of her Colombian roots and the contemporary American R&B sound. Her lyrics, which reflect on her tumultuous teenage years with a sense of retrospective wisdom, really resonate with her millennial audience who can relate to the struggles of their own early twenties. But Uchis also knows that sometimes we all just need to dance.