Show Review: Vagabon’s Powerful Performance With an Intimate End

By Meghan Hockridge, Program Coordinator

Artist: Vagabon 

Where: The Sinclair 

When: Saturday, November 20th 

Laetitia Tamko, better known as Vagabon, took the stage Saturday night with her band and was immediately met by cheers from the audience, jumping into their set with “Full Moon in Gemini.” 
 

VAGABON’S ON STAGE ATMOSPHERE 

Tamko paused in between songs to giggle and thank the audience for coming. She noted that she used to never talk on stage; that she had one job to do and it was to play music. But over the past two years of not getting to play and not talking to many people, she wanted to take the opportunity to talk with us. While tuning her guitar she admitted, “I don’t know a lot about Boston, all I know is that it’s really hard to drive around here.” Her honest statement was met with agreeing laughter from the crowd. 

Vagabon’s band was small, each member taking on a few different roles. Renata Zeiguer was sitting on the right side of the stage swapping between, and sometimes playing both, keyboard and guitar as well as providing background vocals. Leo Grossman sat behind his drumset and also played an electronic drum pad for a few songs. And Nate Menselsohn sat on the left side of the stage playing both bass and every now and then pulling out a saxophone, to much of the crowd's enjoyment. 

With the other band members stationed at their instruments, Tamko was free to fly around stage dancing and singing. 
 

THE SETLIST

Vagabon started off the night with “Full Moon in Gemini'' and moved around her two albums. She got fans to slowly sway along at moments and at others, jumping, dancing and grooving along to the beat. 

About halfway through her set Vagabon hit us with a powerful trifecta of songs. She started with “Reason to Believe,” the cover she recorded with Courtney Barnett. Next, she played a brand new unreleased song that brought the crowd's energy back up. And to follow it up, Tamko unleashed her hit “Water Me Down,” which got everyone singing and dancing immediately. 
 

ENDING THE NIGHT SOLO 

Tamko’s band left the stage as she picked up a guitar for a solo performance. She got intimate with the crowd, playing “Fear & Force,” a single off her 2017 debut album. Everyone quieted down to watch the emotional performance. While other artists might have used that emotional atmosphere and end with a loud rocking song to bring the energy back up, Vagabon played one more intimate solo song, “Every Woman.” Her beautiful voice and lyrics lingering in the air accompanied by just her guitar, she left us with her most pure form, then thanked us for coming and walked backstage.