By Graceann Burns:
Sia performing with Maddie Ziegler at Boston Calling. Photo by Ross Ketschke
Pop singer Sia proved to be the perfect closing act on the first night of the fourth annual Boston Calling music festival. She opened her set with single “Alive”, alongside featured dancer Maddie Ziegler and the rest of Sia’s company. Her set also included other hits such as, “Cheap Thrills”, “Reaper”, “Breathe Me”, and a stripped down cover of “Titanium”.
Sia performed pieces from her most recent album ‘This Is Acting’ in tandem with the choreography featured in the music video, projected on the two large screens on either side of the JetBlue stage. This artistic choice created both a visual and vocal manifestation of the rawness of her music, making her the standout performance of the night.
Her dancers were equally impressive, demanding attention and bringing just as much energy and excellence as Sia does vocally. Each piece was performed with the utmost sharpness and precision, making their performances especially impressive given the amount of both physical and emotional intensity each number calls for. Despite the fact that each dancer was giving their all and then some on stage, their energy didn’t waver or dip during the performance one bit during the entire set.
Despite the fact that she was in front of thousands, Sia did what makes her such a distinguished performer with everything she could- she was was unafraid to make herself as emotionally vulnerable as the songs in her albums demand, and it didn’t go unappreciated.
Each riff and lyric that escaped Sia’s lips inspired and captivated the audience, who was incredibly receptive to her entire performance, singing and cheering along to even her lesser known songs. The amount of energy from all of the artists on stage could be felt pulsating through the streets of Boston. Sia created a visually stunning close to the first night of what is destined to be a phenomenal weekend of music in Government Center.
