Fresh from her first solo album release, Karen O graced Berlin with an impassioned performance.

Karen O, former lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is heading down the path of band member-gone-solo vocalist. She recently performed in Berlin’s Heimathafen Theater, sampling off the three songs ‘Body’, ‘Indian Summer’, ‘Rapt’ & ‘Beast’ appearing on the new album ‘Crush Songs’ off Cult Records.

Right off the bat you notice Karen O, notorious for an outrageous stage presence with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, dawning what seems to be normal concert attire. She starts off the set with a slow, almost acoustic introduction into her first song ‘Body’. The song takes off with the generic obscure female vocalist ensemble, standing and singing into the microphone eyes closed–majestic and mysterious. After a few seconds, a rowdy choral verse is suddenly curated, sounding quite similar to O’s former band. For all the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans out there, there’s a moment of excitement. New material from an old band in new form is always an appealing venture.

Glimpses of Karen O’s past ventures flicker on and off throughout the performance, singing of self-expression, being yourself, being unique. The aesthetic and sound of Karen O’s Berlin performance is intensely passionate with emotion.

In contrast to the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s flashy attire and wild entertainment, her solo project is more subdued. Overall, the Berlin performance displays the movingly heartfelt talents of Karen O.