Astrid Sonne's Great Doubt, was one of the best albums of 2024 and after originally being booked for Central Park's SummerStage, she relocated to the much more intimate Baby's All Right for a killer late night show. Posting to social media, Sonne said "please note that the show in New York on June 15 is moved from Summer Stages to Baby's All Right. I was looking forward to playing at Summer Stages but I have chosen not to perform there due to the recent cancellation of Kehlani's concert. it's not right for me to perform in a concert series where artists are cancelled for taking a stand against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. glad to be playing at Baby's All Right instead with support from amazing Anysia Kym hope to see you there xx." Taking the stage not long after 11:00 P.M., Sonne was accompanied by cellist Emma Barnaby and the two took the crowd through an odyssey of deep, warped beats and sharpened string arrangements that were upheld by Astrid's booming vocals. Basked in an orange glow, the two took to their respective instruments of violin and cello and began to strike up rich orchestrations that immediately set the tone for the bewildering night ahead that was full of minimal classical tunes paired with trip-hop breaks that made for something totally unique and of the moment. Building the backbeats with careful attention to detail, Sonne adjusted things ever so slightly as she slowly busted a groove and got things swirling while Barnaby roughed up her strings. As the beat broke, the two burst into "Do You Wanna" and the crowd instantly gave in to the brooding rhythms. The pulsing metronomic beats overtook the room and at times crashed against the walls in overwhelming fashion that rocked the crowd with a real force. On stage, the two began to pluck away and use their bows against the strings in a dueling notion that also conjured a brilliant intensity as they ripped into each other before giving way to more softened blows from the drum machine that kept them locked in place. Placements of steam-powered pipe organ samples added more texture to the already sensational grooves and when matched with the avant-guard modern classical melodies, the crowd became fixated under the hypnotic spell of their interlocked motions. "Boost" was another monstrous track that consumed the entire room with more throbbing pleasures and made folks weak in the knee as the overpowering track sent its soaring movements over the willing crowd. The minimal approach could make it seem like there'd be a lot to desire, but Sonne and Barnaby are in such a tight and locked connection that their playing becomes transfixing to the extent where everyone in the crowd will fall under the spell of their nocturnal R&B. Still a bit shy and reserved, it's easy to see how Sonne is on the verge of taking this sound to the next level and you could easily imagine it fleshed-out with a full band bringing these songs to life, but these intimate settings are really something to behold and you can feel that something special is happening in these small spaces. We may not know exactly when the big break may come for Sonne so for now celebrating these close-knit affairs remains special and there's no doubt they'll remain that way no matter what comes next.
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