Jena ArdellUpon first glance, we thought, 'Wow, Zola Jesus rolled out of bed and took the sheets with her!' but her breezy frock only contributed to the mesmerizing performance she gave to a packed house at The Satellite on Saturday night.
With only a red spotlight on her face and a flickering white light beating against her small frame, Zola's stage presence felt like a performance art piece.
Despite Zola's pint-size, her vocals can take down a herd of wild caribou in the vast Scandinavian wilderness, given the opportunity. Zola's childhood fascination with opera matured into the brooding, soulful Goth sound she casts musical spells with today.
Zola Jesus performs at The Satellite.; Credit: Jena Ardell
Fans sang along to “Sea Talk”, a goth ballad with a catchy melodic chorus, and were put in a collective trance by Zola's dark, brooding masterpiece “Clay Bodies”.
The audience couldn't keep their eyes off of Zola as she rabidly paced, thumping her tiny bare feet to each beat of the drums. At least two songs were dramatically performed while knelt down, mock pounding the stage with her tiny fists. As expected, Zola stepped off the stage and plowed through the audience, like a determined musical pixie on a whimsical rampage.
After the show, we felt renewed, as if the mild, musical exorcism we just witnessed magically aligned our chakras.
Zola Jesus: A concert photographer's most difficult subject.; Credit: Jena Ardell
After the show, we overheard two women outside the venue:
“She was a really good singer and to sing, like, that soulfully and move around that much, you have to be talented”.
“And in really good shape,” the other girl chimed in.
“She reminds me of your sister.”
And we couldn't agree more–Zola Jesus totally reminds us of your sister.
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