Ravyn Lenae
On a holy Sunday night on the 20th of September, Ravyn Lenae joined the city of Dallas with heavenly harmonies and choruses. In The Echo Lounge & Music Hall, limited stage did not mean limited stage performance, with installed clear plastic acoustic panels containing drum sets, guitars hooked to speakers, and a stand holding a microphone to fill the venue.
Ravyn Lenae
Starting off the night was the storyteller Arima Ederra. Arima is a independent artist from Atlanta with only having one album currently out, An Orange Colored Day. Her eleven song project filled listeners with melancholic lyrics on ”Drugz/Wooden Wheel,” and soothing guitars on “Fall for You.” Arima made a great first impressions with fans through soft tones and light strums, lightly clapping on to the beat.
Arima Ederra
The highlight of the evening was Ravyn Lenae, a 25 year old musician/songwriter from Chicago, whose music spans from R&B to soul. However, she also dips her hand in other genres, such as reggae in her song “Candy”. Her career spans almost a decade, showcasing angelic vocals and addicting instrumentals. In addition, she has worked with other talented musicians such as Childish Gambino, Steve Lacy, etc.
Opening the set with the bombastic track “bad idea” had fans jumping in a frenzy and scattered sing-alongs. During each transition, she continued to engage the crowd with relatable conversations about growing older through maturity between relationships and age. Adding on to the conversation were “Skin Tight” and “One Wish” with backstories that continued to have fans attentive and curious to learn more about the artist. Adding to the scenery of the set, at points the stage lights hit my eyes with constant flashes, however they added to the experience of the show and to submerse us all into the rave aesthetic.
When the end section of the set came, the energy picked up with the last songs, “Genius” and “Love Me Not.” With those last melodies filling the latter section of the night, Ravyn took the time to thank everyone for believing in her music, sharing the content, and coming to the show.
Leaving Ravyn Lenae’s show inspired me to look further into her catalogue and especially her newest album, Bird’s Eye, which includes some of the songs listed above, from “From Scratch” to “One Wish feat. Childish Gambino.” In addition, I would recommend the Bird’s Eye Live Tour setlist to be prepared for later shows in Los Angeles (on the 25th of October), San Francisco (on the 26th of October), and shows in November in Europe. Many thanks to Ravyn Lenae for allowing me to experience her show and her music.
