Last Wednesday, Katie Gavin – best known as the lead singer of pop band MUNA – played a sold-out show at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom. Gavin is no stranger to the Wonder Ballroom as she’s played there twice before alongside her MUNA bandmates, but this show was completely different from those prior MUNA shows.
The album What a Relief – Katie Gavin’s first solo album – exists in a more mellow, singer-songwriter world than much of her previous work, and yet she commanded the Wonder Ballroom stage all the same. Whether she’s prancing around stage or sitting on a stool with her guitar, Gavin knows how to bring whatever song she’s performing to life.
Gavin showcased many of her musical talents throughout the night including guitar, violin, and of course, her vocals. Her signature voice soared all night, and she sounded just as brilliant in person as she does on the record. You can feel her connection to the words as she sings them, likely because almost every word of the album came from her pen. Her songwriting has always packed a punch, and the stripped back environment of the evening was the perfect choice for these sorts of songs – and for this sort of a performance.
Whether with MUNA or flying solo, Katie Gavin is an incredibly impressive artist who you don’t want to miss.
KATIE GAVIN
Photos + Review by Blake Charles | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!