Nadia Reid at Hollywood Avondale

Nadia Reid at The Hollywood Avondale

I have always characterised the music of Nadia Reid as pensive and melancholy, influenced heavily by the women of alternative Americana, and presenting a gentle presence of heartbreak and reflection. Reid’s music was always one to play alone in my room, contemplating my place in the universe. But seeing her charm the audience of the Hollywood Avondale with her effortless charisma and wry humour, I began to understand a depth and universality in her music that I hadn’t expected. Her artistry transcended the mellow poignancy that fans so often describe and adore to deliver a bright, warm, embracing performance that has me excited for her 2022 album release.

The Broken Heartbreakers

The night opened with a stripped-back performance by members of The Broken Heartbreakers, friends of Reid’s from Dunedin who share an appreciation for space around the sound. Their set is slow, with the artists earning their namesake through their romantic and heart-aching lyrics. The vocals soar over gentle waves of viola and minimal electric guitar, the sound rolling beautifully over the walls of the Hollywood. Over the course of their set, the space begins to feel more like a heart chamber, a rib cage rising and falling with a rhythmic ache of love and loss. The intimacy of the room holds us until Reid takes to the stage with her band to journey with us through a beautiful spectrum of emotion and sound.

Nadia Reid

Throughout the show, Reid shows us a stunning array of soundscapes and feelings. From the harbour mouth of Port Chalmers to the forests of Virginia, Reid’s environmental influences are as present in her sound as her lived experience. She expertly balances echoes of loneliness and a deep sense of fulfilment that sweeps the landscapes of her home, which dance artfully through her sound and lyrics, while also bringing an ambitious hope for her time spent recording in Richmond. The result is a vibrant palette of sound and emotion, that reflects not only her musical journey but also her unparalleled depth of expression.

She plays from across her discography, showing the crowd a diversity in her sound that can only be attained through a carefully curated live performance. Each song stands on its own two feet, and yet flows seamlessly into the next, creating a sense that her entire discography is borne from a singular and focused artistic vision that can be embodied in a wide variety of sound and style.

Weaving together her poetic and reflective lyrics with her extraordinary voice, Reid offers us a performance that is at once wise and playful, maternal and isolated, expansive and treasured close to her heart. Her band is a single body, moving with her with an expertise and anticipation that can only come from many years spent curating music together with a shared intention. And it is both assuring and empowering to see a woman performing with the full force of love and respect from her band, standing with tangible pride and adoration in a beautiful space, performing with complete confidence in her sound and perspective. Reid’s performance is a glowing pearl that will be adored by any listener, a rich and tender experience like no other on offer in Aotearoa today.

Words Ali Nicholls

Images Connor Crawford