Concert Review: Banks-- Boston, MA-- June 6th, 2017

Lineup: Banks/Toulouse (The Altar tour)
Venue: Royale, Boston, MA
Date: June 6th, 2017

Toulouse: Outside of his impressive a capella closing track, Toulouse epitomized mediocrity. He kind of reminded me of a synthpop version of Francis and the Lights (complete with the awkward dance moves!) with a somewhat better singing voice and more effective minimalist stage presence. Honestly the most memorable moment of his set for me was realizing that he sang that "I Will Follow You" song that was in the iPhone commercial with the balloons that flooded every channel on TV last fall. Toulouse wasn't a bad opener, but I'll probably forget this set in no time at all.

Banks:  I'd been waiting for about six months for Banks to embark on a headlining tour in support of her excellent 2016 record The Altar and holy hell, did my patience pay off. She took my unreasonably high expectations for this show and shattered the shit out of them in a grand, triumphant fashion.

Banks has stated that making The Altar was a cathartic experience for her and the wide range of emotions that drove that record carried over to her performance. The sheer artistry that went into this performance  helped establish a darkly beautiful atmosphere that maximized the impact of every song live. The Gothic-themed stage show which featured veiled backup dancers, red-and-black lighting and a shitload of incense brought the pain, regret and self-exploration that drove The Altar to life with stunning, visceral detail. I'm not usually too impressed with choreography, lighting, etc., but all of these typically mundane concert things complemented Banks' music so well that it helped raise the show to a whole other level of excellence.   

While the entire 16 song, 75-minute set was loaded with chill-inducing moments, the ballads made up a majority of the best songs of the night. The mid-set quartet of "Mind Games", "Weaker Girl", "Mother Earth" and "Better" was an awe-inspiring showcase of her wide vocal range. Every single note featured the power, grace and emotional transparency that has made her one of the standout vocalists in the talent-loaded modern pop/R&B scene. As great as the vocal effect-heavy material ("This is What Feels Like", "Fuck with Myself", "Poltergeist") is, her music is at its most effective and beautiful when her natural voice is at the forefront.

I can not overstate how much better Banks was at this show than the first time I saw her in November 2015 as the direct support act for The Weeknd. The improvement in confidence, energy and general stage presence she's made over the last year and a half is astonishing. Banks was already one of the best vocalists I'd ever seen perform and with the addition of an improved stage presence and stunning stage show that amplifies the quality of her music, she can now be considered an elite live performer.

Scores:
Toulouse 5/10
Banks 9/10

Setlist:
Banks:
Poltergeist
Fuck With Myself
Gemini Feed
Trainwreck
Waiting Game
This Is What It Feels Like
Mind Games
Better
Weaker Girl
Mother Earth
Drowning
Judas
Beggin for Thread
Haunt

Encore:
27 Hours
This is Not About Us