I attended the Olivia Dean concert in Minneapolis after managing to get tickets 20 minutes before the concert started. The first song that she sang was “The Art of Loving,” really setting the atmosphere for the rest of the concert. Before fully taking the stage, she started as a silhouette behind a curtain, which really excited the crowd.
I enjoyed the fact that she included personal stories about her life to help us understand her songs better. She even explained that her album The Art of Loving was written as a response to bell hooks’ book All About Love. I loved it when she sang “A Couple Minutes.” I thought that it was the best part of the concert as everyone was engaged. I also thought highlights of the concert were when she was playing guitar and when she sang songs from her past album, Messy, as well, not just The Art of Loving.
She was very engaged with the crowd and was talking to fans. She shared a story of how she went to Paisley Park the previous day and even did a tribute to Prince by covering “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” She also shared that she went to a Twins game and that she was very excited for this Minneapolis show, which she mentioned was her first time performing in Minneapolis. Additionally, her band was amazing, and she really shows appreciation to them and her backup singers as they performed solos during the song “Ladies Room.”
The show was the perfect running time because it wasn’t too long or too short, so you never felt like it was rushed or dragged on too long at any point. I loved the high energy and pacing. Towards the end, the energy shifted from being more intimate and warmer to more high-energy and upbeat. There were even disco balls and confetti, which turned it into a very danceable mood. During this part of the concert, she sang “Ok Love You Bye,” “Dive,” and “Man I Need.”
She also showed her appreciation for immigrants and told a story about her grandmother, and said that the next song she would play is about her. The songs “Echo” and “Time,” which she played from her previous album, were also played midway through the show. She had a very minimalist setup when singing “UFO,” “Touching Toes,” and “I’ve Seen It,” which she shared was about her best friends.
The performance was very warm and had a great atmosphere. I think it is the best concert I’ve ever been to, and she has already established herself as a must-see artist. The whole vibe was impeccable, as evidenced by the energy of the 90 percent female crowd.
