Photo Credit: Molly Daniel<\/p>\n
Review by Kyra Matteo<\/span><\/p>\n When I stepped into the Royale in downtown Boston, the scent of weed and a floor full of Doc Martens greeted me. This is how you know you’re at an indie concert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n British indie rock artist Nil\u00fcfer Yanya headlined at the Royale on Wednesday night, supported by Eliza McLamb and Lutalo. Originally built as an opera house in the early 1900s, the venue has since transformed into a nightclub and concert space, yet remnants of its grand past remain with chandeliers hanging overhead and intricate wallpaper lining the walls.<\/span><\/p>\n McLamb opened the show, playing a mix of songs from her 2024 album \u201cGoing Through It<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/i> and her earlier discography. McLamb\u2019s soft, ethereal voice, reminiscent of modern indie folk artists like Odie Leigh, coolly commanded the room\u2019s attention. McLamb shines further through her poetic lyrics. Lines like \u201cEverything I\u2019m feeling is a phantom pain \/ The rot settled in without you\u201d from \u201cAnything You Want\u201d showcases her raw and emotional songwriting, which resonates even more deeply in a live setting.<\/span><\/p>\n At 9 p.m., Lutalo took the stage. The Minnesota-born, Vermont-based artist (who also happens to be Adrianne Lenker’s cousin) opened their set with soft, finger-picked guitar melodies before transitioning into heavier, rock-infused sounds that energized the Royale. Throughout the set, which featured tracks from their debut album \u201cThe Academy<\/span>,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Lutalo\u2019s soft vocals contrasted starkly with the thrashing guitars. Despite technical difficulties\u2014fans repeatedly shouting, “Turn up the mic!” and a smoking electrical outlet temporarily halting a song\u2014Lutalo remained calm and composed, their laid-back stage presence unshaken. It wasn\u2019t until halfway through the set that they seemed to fully immerse themselves in the music, particularly when they played a \u201cdance song,\u201d encouraging the audience to join in.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Academy\u201d draws inspiration from Lutalo’s own experiences attending an elite school as a low-income student. Tracks like “Big Brother” and “Oh Well” address pressing political issues and reflect the lasting trauma Lutalo\u2019s family endured during the 2008 financial crisis. Lutalo\u2019s introspective songs often tackle heavy topics like mental health and the deep flaws in America with poignant, thought-provoking lyrics. Unfortunately, due to technical issues and overpowering instruments, some of the artist\u2019s lo-fi, subtle vocals were lost.<\/span><\/p>\n The Royale presents a unique atmosphere for concerts. Instead of the usual rush to the barricades or pushing for prime spots, attendees casually gathered around circular tables, chatting as they waited. The absence of chaotic energy created a relaxed and intimate atmosphere that lingered throughout the show\u2014refreshing in an era where toxic crowd environments have become all too common. And, for the introverted headliner, just the right level of interaction.<\/span><\/p>\n By the time Nil\u00fcfer Yanya took the stage, it was well past 10 p.m., but worth the wait. She opened her set with \u201cMethod Actor,\u201d a hit off her new album \u201cMy Method Actor.\u201d The album scored an 8.5 rating on <\/span>Pitchfork <\/span><\/i>and follows in the footsteps of 2022\u2019s \u201cPainless<\/span>,<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span> which garnered widespread praise and solidified Yanya\u2019s place in the indie rock scene.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many of Yanya\u2019s songs feature intricate instrumental arrangements, incorporating elements like saxophones and synthesizers that create a more layered and distinctive rock sound. During songs like \u201cLike I Say (I Runaway),\u201d these sounds shone through, while her clear vocals maintained a stark contrast to her fuzzed-out, guitar-heavy choruses. Her arrangements are particularly well-suited for a live concert setting, with her band often playing hazy, atmospheric interludes between tracks rather than engaging in small talk with the audience. This is not to say Yanya has no audience interaction \u2013 at times, she took brief breaks to discuss her experiences of playing shows in Boston and her confusion about whether Cambridge is, in fact, a part of the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yanya maintains a professional composure on stage. Her guitar playing appears effortless, and she often closes her eyes while playing, slowly swaying along to the rhythm. The highlight of the night came when Yanya played a stripped-down version of \u201cHeavyweight Champion of the Year\u201d off of her 2019 album \u201cMiss Universe<\/span>.<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span> Yanya\u2019s band left the stage, and it was just her and her guitar as she sang about the struggles of trying to meet the high expectations she set for herself. Her performance certainly exceeded everybody else\u2019s, eliciting the biggest applause of the night.<\/span><\/p>\n Yanya closed the night with an encore featuring a cover of PJ Harvey\u2019s song \u201cRid of Me\u201d and \u201cMidnight Sun,\u201d a fan favorite from \u201cPainless<\/span>.<\/span><\/i>\u201d As she repeated the phrase, \u201cNo, you\u2019re not rid of me,\u201d the departing audience looked as if they never wanted to be rid of Yanya\u2019s music, and as her skilled songwriting and guitar playing bring her more attention, they might just get their wish. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo Credit: Molly Daniel Review by Kyra Matteo When I stepped into the Royale in downtown Boston, the scent of weed and a floor full of Doc Martens greeted me. This is how you know you’re at an indie concert.\u00a0 British indie rock artist Nil\u00fcfer Yanya headlined at the Royale on Wednesday night, supported by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24057,"featured_media":43104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1895,1523,15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24057"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43103"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44213,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43103\/revisions\/44213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}