Oh Land at Varsity Theater in Minneapolis
Danish electronic-pop singer Oh Land landed back in Minneapolis for the first time since 2011, this time at the Varsity Theater. I saw the previous show when Oh Land (real name Nanna Øland Fabricius) opened for Australian singer-songwriter Sia at First Avenue. She and her drummer Hans Hvidberg-Hansen stole the show that night, so I was sure to remember her the next time she was in town.
Now headlining, Oh Land’s look has changed a bit, her blonde locks now a faded blue. And rather than donning a dress as she wore at First Avenue, this night she wore a cutoff black shirt, pajama-style pants, and black athletic sneakers. Her songs and command of the stage have only gotten better however. Much of her hour and a half long set was from the September 2013 release Wish Bone, but she did sneak in some older hits like “Sun of a Gun”, “Rainbow”, and “White Lights” from her self-titled 2011 release.
She started her set sitting at the keys, finally standing for the third song “Bird in an Aeroplane”. When she did stand, she didn’t stand in the same place long, moving from the mic stand, to bouncing across all parts of the stage with a smile on her face. For the most part, the relatively small and younger crowd was great, dancing along and singing with her. Several times Oh Land stated how beautiful the Varsity was and exclaimed her appreciation for the fans.
It was a fantastic show, and something different for me. Oh Land’s music ranges from a classical piano sound, to bass-thumping beats, to straight up dance-pop. One thing for sure is that she and her band are a pleasure to watch and hear. Australian-born, Los Angeles-based singer and keyboardist Sun Rai opened the show. He couldn’t have been much nicer, often talking to the crowd with his positivity showing clear. He was good as well, playing with signature soul and funk, and was a definite contrast to the more upbeat Oh Land.
Photos taken for Reviler. Check it out.
Oh Land
Sun Rai
Oh Land at Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, MN 10.09.13 Setlist
Cherry On Top
Pyromaniac
Bird In An Aeroplane
Wolf & I
Love a Man Dead
3 Chances
My Boxer
Next Summer
Perfection
Heavy Eyes
Green Card
Rainbow
Renaissance Girls
Sleepy Town
Sun of a Gun
Encore:
Love You Better
White Nights
