Pop Break Live: Tori Kelly at The Foundry at The Fillmore in Philadelphia
Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly is having quite a year. After winning two Grammys in February (Best Gospel Album/Best Gospel Performance-Song), she embarked on a 26 stop-trek that’s getting rave reviews. The 26-year-old California native stopped in at Philadelphia’s Fillmore with her Acoustic Sessions Tour on Friday, April 5th.
Kelly was nominated for a Grammy a few years ago for Best New Artist, at a time when her sound was considered pop. It’s rare that an artist, at the height of their popularity, shifts to a different genre of music. In the past, some artist’s have done the same and were met with disastrous results. From the accolades she received from her 2018 award winning album Hiding Place and the fan’s reaction to her performance this evening, this is not the case for Tori Kelly. She is a bona fide star, whether she’s singing pop or gospel.
The show is centered around being an extremely intimate performance for the fans. There was no heavy stage production or high-tech gadgetry. The stage setup consisted of a couch, rug and a pair of lights. Tori was armed with an acoustic and electric guitar for the night and backed on many songs by guitarist Mateus Asato, who really impressed!
Tori kicked off the night with “Language” and “Nobody Love”, which was the lead single off her debut album Unbreakable Smile, released in 2015. The set was a mix of fan favorites, songs from her newest album, covers and a 11 song medley of her earliest work that brought the house down! She also played a bunch of new songs she had written and they got a great response from the crowd. Tori weaved stories in between the songs. It was interesting hearing how her career progressed from the tender age of 6 up until age 12, which is when she landed her first record deal. She told the crowd that she actually wrote and produced the album in her bedroom. It was obvious even then, that it was written in the stars.
Some of the highlights of the show were songs like “Pretty Fades”, “Psalm 42”,”Two Places”(which really showed her incredible range) and “Dear No One”, which got the crowd singing along. Her snippet covers of Paramore’s “The Only Exception” and Justin Timberlake’s “Suit and Tie” were great. There was a long jazzy guitar jam between Tori and her guitarist on “Unbreakable Smile” that honestly blew me away!
It’s not often an artist can completely hold an audience’s attention for 2 hours, especially during an acoustic set. It was perfect. There was a very positive uplifting vibe in the Fillmore as she held us captive throughout the night. She came off very endearing, with her raw emotionally charged set. The crowd was extremely diverse but what caught my eye were the number of young children there with their parents.
Sometimes you come out of a show with a newfound respect for an artist, especially when an artist is armed with just their guitar/voice. I walked out thinking not only is Tori a great guitarist but she’s also a great role model for her younger fans. What a truly memorable night of music.
Setlist:
Language
Nobody Love
Coffee
Never Alone
Pretty Fades
I Was Made for Loving You
Take Back Home Girl (Chris Lane cover)
Two Places
Keep on Singin’ My Song (Christina Aguilera cover)
The Only Exception (Paramore cover)
Bring Me Home
Thinkin Bout You (Frank Ocean cover)
Suit & Tie (Justin Timberlake cover)
Confetti / Daydream / Eyelashes / Stained / Treasure / Celestial / Upside Down / Rocket / Paper Hearts / All in My Head / Dear No One
Unbreakable Smile
Kid I Used to Know
Actress
Hollow
Your Words
Psalm 42
Sorry Would Go a Long Way
Funny
Should’ve Been Us
Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing (Stevie Wonder cover)
Change Your Mind
