Secondhand Setlists

Konichiwa, bitches, Robyn is here.

The Palladium provides the perfect setting for seeing Robyn, a spacious dance floor that still gives off a sense of intimacy. Of all the musicians out there, Robyn strikes a personal chord with many, and you want to see her in as cozy a setting as possible.

Sounding as fresh as ever, she sang through the Honey album into hits from Body Talk and, surprisingly, La Bagatelle Musique. Hearing “Love is Free” felt remarkably uplifting and cathartic considering how Robyn previously stopped playing those songs after the death of her collaborator. To hear her share this growth in her character only strengthened the intimacy of her performance.

And that set! She knew my color scheme down to the shade: icy blue and light lavender. Ethereal scrims and tulle formed a ghostly landscape while the background displayed Robyn and her dancers in a spectral motion trail. Her dancer, decked out in a silver knit sweater, deserves special attention for bringing a fluid grace to Robyn’s music, which we usually associate with a thumping club. Really, the staging was simple, but the effect was mesmerizing.

I do wish she’d spaced out the Honey tracks to happen throughout as opposed to just at the beginning of the set, and perhaps thrown in a few more Robyn, My Truth, and Robyn in Here cuts. The people wanna hear “Show Me Love” and “Cobrastyle”!

Admittedly, Robyn seemed a little tired. It made sense considering she played the same venue the night before and followed with an after party that went until 4 AM. I do wish she’d saved the Catch One event for Saturday night, when it would make more sense to celebrate with all your fans. But alas, it is not my show.

It is Robyn’s, and nothing exemplified that more than when “Dancing on my Own” came crashing through. Upon hitting the chorus, the music dropped out and the entire audience gave it their all. I’ve never seen anything like that at a show before, where the whole crowd unites and actually sounds quite good! Robyn teared up, and so did the rest of us.

Again, it all just goes to show the power of Robyn is universal.