By Kathryn Tanaka and Madeline Tanaka
I guess it was only a matter of time before Laufey came back to the Bay Area! On September 29, the Icelandic-Chinese singer performed in Oakland’s Oracle Arena, filling two and a half hours with stunning vocals and captivating visuals.
Entering the venue, almost everyone was decked out in felt crowns and satin bows, signature Laufey symbols. Oakland had three merch stations (one outside trailer and two kiosks inside), so all the lines were pretty long. My friend and I (Kathryn) waited about an hour, but they still had the smaller sizes of the most popular items.
While Kathryn and our friend were in the merch line, Suki Waterhouse’s opening set began. I’ve been a big fan of hers for a while now, so I left them in line and headed toward our seats. I was a little embarrassed to stand and sing on my own, but Waterhouse’s voice live is, dare I say, better than her studio versions. My favorites of her set were “Model, Actress, Whatever” and “Moves.”
After a quick photo session, we settled into our seats. Laufey began promptly around 8:45, and until the Final Act, my attention remained solely on her. With a live string quartet and band, the music felt alive, keeping everyone entertained through outfit changes and stage rearrangements. My favorite part of the concert was definitely all the songs she played on the piano. In my (definitely unbiased) opinion, strings and piano complement each other so well, and her live renditions of “Too Little, Too Late” and “Goddess” definitely prove that.
Aside from the singing, I found Laufey is actually really funny. Between acts, she often gave little insights into what the songs were about or thanked the fans, sprinkling dry remarks throughout the stories.
The surprise song that night was “I Wish You Love,” which Laufey had the crowd sing for a few verses. I think that was my favorite part of the night because it was just us and Laufey singing together. This might sound a bit cheesy, but it really felt like we were all united, and we were able to forget about our lives and just sing together.
Closing with “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self,” the crowd sang for a bittersweet ending to a remarkable show. Laufey’s artistry truly shines through her live performances, and I’m so grateful I got to see her.