Sara Fish
Last updated on January 5th, 2019 at 04:01 am
Nowadays it seems like there are hundreds of wannabe pop stars trying to find their fifteen minutes of fame- writing generic songs with simple chord progressions while putting on their best Halsey impression. 27 year-old Kelsey Byrne, also known as Vérité, stands out amongst the crowd of young singer-songwriters. The Brooklyn native blends airy yet powerful vocals with epic melodies for a truly unique sound. Byrne headlined the Entry back in May of 2016 and has since gained enough popularity to sell it out this time around. The alt-pop songstress played a lengthy sixteen-song set including an unplanned encore.
The densely-packed crowd was electrified the second Vérité hit the stage. She kicked off her set with “When You’re Gone,” the opening track off of her debut LP, Somewhere in Between. Byrne’s lyrics are emotionally charged but her performance brought them to life and gave the audience a feeling of catharsis singing along to songs about heartbreak and healing, universal feelings everyone can relate to. Fan favorite “Phase Me Out,” juxtaposed heavy bass with intricate falsetto riffs which she made seem effortless.
Another highlight was her iconic cover of The 1975’s “Somebody Else.” This version has earned over 75.5 million streams on Spotify and it deserves far more. Byrne put a feisty spin on the moody song; she increased the tempo with an electronic beat and and shamelessly belted out the melancholy lyrics. (Check out our interview with Vérité, here.)
Byrne took frequent breaks between songs to casually banter with the audience. She thanked them at least half a dozen times for “selling the fuck out of this place,” and seemed to be genuinely grateful. After what would’ve been her last song, “Underdressed,” the Entry kept the house lights down while leaving the stage lights on which led concertgoers to believe that she had an encore planned. Their relentless cheering brought Vérité back out on stage and she admitted that she doesn’t do encores, but humored the crowd with one last song, “Heartbeat.”
Although she’s been steadily growing in the world of pop music, it feels like just the beginning for Vérité. Hopefully she’ll take on the mainroom next time she rolls through town. Vérité’s Somewhere in Between Tour continues across the US through September. Find tickets here!
Setlist:
When You’re Gone
Bout You
Bette
>Rest
Phase Me Out
Death of Me
Need Nothing
Somebody Else (1975 Cover)
Solutions
Nothing
Somewhere in Between
Weekend
Saint
Living
Underdressed
Heartbeat
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