Review: Kate Tempest Captivates Neptune Crowd

The crowd at the Neptune Theater was in for a real treat tonight hosting the British poet and musician Kate Tempest.  The show which was moved from the smaller Neumos to accommodate larger demand, sold out as fans gathered for the performance.  Local artist Sassyblack opened the night playing songs from her debut No More Weak Dates.  The adored Seattleite won the crowd over with her electro-psychedelic tunes and dominant stage presence.  She is set to release her sophomore album sometime in the next year and we’re all waiting to hear it.

Shortly after the stage change over the 3-piece band took their spots and Tempest walked onto the stage looking at the crowd.  She began by sharing that this was a very emotional night as Seattle was the largest venue to date on their North American tour and how special that was to her.  “It’s only fair to play the record we released last year in its entirety to capture the integrity of it tonight.”

The mesmerized audience listened in silence as she spoke, already captivated by her honesty.  “I’m going to ask you to try and be in the moment with me as much as possible and to not watch tonight through your phones.”  She was passionate about sharing the night with us and wanted us to pay close attention to all the words that would be spoken.  She went on and introduced her band right at the start, explaining that it felt more respectful that way instead of at the end.

Tempest who widely became popular as a teenager with her poetry in the UK  has received praise for her 2016 album Let Them Eat Chaos.  The fascinating performance included much spoken word in the start of each song which was very impressive to follow.  They are words of love, frustration, political situations, hate, and the never ending anxiety that we all can relate to.  This is what makes her art resonate with so many individuals, she makes people believe she is directly speaking about their thoughts.

This was an incredible show to be a part of and it seems the British sensation has only started her take-over on this side of the pond.  The strongest moment came right at the end as the performance ended with “Tunnel Vision” and she repeated the words “Wake Up, Love More.”  In today’s world we all need to remember how important that is and she was a remarkable vessel to be reminded of this.

Check out more photos from the show HERE.