Faye Webster enchants a sold out crowd at Fine Line

Last updated on February 24th, 2022 at 12:03 pm

On the cusp of another Minnesota snowstorm, a sold out crowd squeezed into the Fine Line to witness Faye Websters’ tour from her new release I Know I’m Funny haha. Atlanta-based and only 24, Faye Webster is an emerging talent with three major label releases, four if you count her self release when she was 16.

Kate Bollinger

Another young artist seemingly climbing that ladder of success is Kate Bollinger, the opener for the evening. Recently signed to the label Ghostly, Kate is spending a huge chunk of time opening for sold out shows for Faye and Real Estate. Minneapolis was treated to her introspective, jazz-inflected songs that immediately calmed the crowd.

Her soft-spoken and warm vocal delivery was on full display during “Je Rêverai à Toi“, sung in french. Typically an opener struggles to gain the attention of the full room, especially one with multiple bars running, but Kate Bollinger grabbed and maintained that focus. Her soft demeanor and almost mysterious outlet of mellow pop music had everyone intrigued.

“A Word Becomes A Sound” was another highlight of her set. The gentle support of the guitar, bass, and drums was a soulful performance and a natural inlet to her style of music. Kate Bollinger is a mindful match to Faye Webster and one in which people will definitely explore deeper the next day after seeing her perform.

Faye Webster

Taking the stage to a prerecording of ‘haha’s’ with lollypop lights with the same words in place, Faye Webster illuminated the crowd with “Better Distractions”. Entranced in a halo of light, Faye set the mood with the sighing opener of her new opening song. Her sound is unique as her country-tinged, lovelorn, and witty ironic lyrics combine with pillow-soft pedal steel, violin stabs, and romantic vocals.

After enchanting the audience with “Kind Of”, Faye went back to another gem from her last release “The Right Side of My Neck”. The more upbeat song embodied the spirit of a giddy summer crush. Her timid but confident stage presence was engaging to watch as she swayed and floated around her band. The laid-back tempos also gave a calm presence and sonic space for everyone to absorb it.

She dedicated the title track “I Know I’m Funny haha” to ‘all the shitty landlords’ out there. It got a good reaction from the crowd and segued into “In A Good Way”. The lush violin and romanticized vibes resonated through the full venue.

This feeling seeped into “A Dream with a Baseball Player,” another dreamy song. The pedal steel provided a wispy backdrop, Faye’s vocals soared and had the crowd singing along. The quietest moment was the performance of “Half of Me”. A magical moment of hearing a pin drop in the room was a powerful way to end her set.

“What am I doing now?
What is the purpose of anything?
And if you’re not around
I’m missing a whole half of me”

An extra bonus from the show was captured while editing photos. Next to her setlist was the famed tea that she was drinking and an audience member inquired what kind it was. Noted on the tag of the tea was the quote,

“What can you appreciate in this moment”

Crammed shoulder to shoulder inside the Fine Line, I have to think that mantra and introspective phrase helped fuel Faye throughout the show. From the audience’s viewpoint, we all appreciated each moment she brought us.