On October 28th, Icelandic singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Laufey brought 
“The Bewitched Tour” to Montreal, selling out Théâtre Beanfield. Words and photos by Serena Yang.

Stepping on stage with her iconic cherry-red Gibson, jazz-pop starlet Laufey opened her set with “Fragile”, “Valentine”, and “Second Best”. Switching over to her cello, she performed a Keely Smith cover of “I Wish You Love”, behind her a backdrop of twinkling stars casting a magical atmosphere over the theater. Further flexing her multi-instrumentalism, she accompanied herself on the piano for “Promise”, “Like The Movies”, and a hauntingly beautiful interlude “Nocturne”, which Laufey had proudly composed herself. While reminiscing on her terrifying piano teacher, she advised the audience to pursue music composition and take creative chances: “I know a lot of you guys are musicians so I just want to encourage you to make whatever music you want.”

Laufey’s crowd was a tasteful, excited yet composed group, who could respectfully enjoy the quiet moments of her set while screaming along to lyrics when appropriate. Splitting the crowd in half, she taught them a two-part harmony for the outro of “Lovesick” – turning the venue into her very own choir. To be a part of that was nothing short of heavenly.

After stepping off stage, Laufey returned for an encore with “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” – an emotional song about the shock her timid younger self would feel if she knew of her success. “One day, you’ll bе up on stage / Little girls will scream your namе” she sang, her crowd faithfully responding with delighted cheers. To continue a tour tradition, Laufey completed her set with a surprise song – for Montreal she chose “Dance With You Tonight”. “I think the best part about live music is that you get a unique experience… I’ve been taking it a bit further to do a surprise song, only this city will get.”

The “Bewitched Tour” is a show of true musicianship, equipped with an arsenal of Laufey’s classical training in voice, guitar, piano, and cello. Laufey’s live vocals display a buttery smooth lower range, the cleanest agility jumping up and down scales, as well as an expertly controlled vibrato. She is a musician’s musician, and conjures up a community who shares her passions. This tour is for sure the last time you can catch her in such an intimate venue, with her career growing at exponential rates this past year. With the rest of her American tour dates completely sold out, she is the type of artist you just can’t miss out on when she comes to your city.

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Serena Yang is a concert, fashion, and event photographer from Ottawa.