Live Review: Dessa at Lodge Room

All small talk was put to a halt the second the lights went out. Standing in the middle of the blackout, I saw the entirety of the packed house divert their attention to center stage. The crowd’s anticipation was then met with colorful lights illuminating their star who came ready to build on the audience’s excitment. In addition to Dessa’s presence the audience was gifted the instrumentals and vocals of Aviva Jaye and Joshua Holmgren who added the harmonies and beats from the harp, the saxophone, and the keyboard. The two stationed on opposite sides of the stage with Dessa standing center stage singing “Warsaw” as her first song which got members of the audience dancing and jumping in place. When “Warsaw” came to an end Dessa told the audience of the vocal rest she’s been on as per her doctor’s request. After describing the frustration of being someone who loves talking but needed to refrain from it, Dessa aroused cheers from the audience that were contradictory to the silence of vocal rest when she declared that she was going to make the next hour of performing count. 

She transitioned into the second song of the night, Hurricane Party, which had the audience moving to the beat and matching Holmgren’s energy as he danced between interludes. Welcoming Cameron Kinghorn to the stage Dessa introduced “Rome” as a dystopian rap banger. Showcasing the strength behind her voice, Dessa projected every note she sang including the impressive notes in the upper register where she brought a softer sound to the song to contrast its downbeat. After “Rome” Dessa sang “Good Grief” where she marked her grasp of the audience with the eye contact she made with members of the front row at the end. The moving swells in the pre chorus perfectly built to the iconic chorus where she sang the lyric “that’s how time runs out.” 

“What if I’m Not Ready” was an excellent display of Dessa’s musicality and the multifaceted talent of Jaye and Holmgren. The song included a backtrack of bass guitar which disappeared then reappeared when she completed the verse “that’s when time runs out.” 

Before beginning her next three songs Dessa made a comical request asking the audience to withhold starting a fight for three songs if they woke up today with the notion of getting into a fight that night. As she began singing  “I came to crash your party,” orange light hit her face, allowing her eyeshadow to sparkle. The song had beautiful backing vocals from Jaye which provided soft ethereal echoes that assisted Dessa’s strong, passionate vocals. 

Taking it back to 2021 Dessa sang “I Already Like You.” Throughout the song Dessa accomplished a skill musicians take years to master, the act of seamlessly switching from head voice to chest voice. 

Surprising the audience, Holmgren who we all knew as the keyboard player, took center stage with a saxophone to perform a solo. To the audience’s liking this was not Holmgren’s only instance playing the saxophone, as he took center stage with the saxophone during the interludes of a song which came later in the night. 

Finishing off a successful night of singing, dancing, and laughs Dessa sang “Fighting Fish” which acted as interactive experiences where the performers did clapping sequences for the audience to repeat throughout the songs. Dessa’s performance at the Lodge Room acted as a perfect night out for those who enjoy high energy performances and music that breaks barriers. 

Setlist

1. Warsaw
2. Hurricane Party
3. Rome
4. Good Grief
5. What If I’m Not Ready
6. Call Off Your Ghost
7. Crash
8. Blush
9. I Already Like You
10. Terry Gross
11. Twelve to One
12. Fire Drills
13. Decoy
14. Shrimp
15. Tell Me Again
16. Fighting Fish