Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Faye Webster played to a sold-out crowd at the iconic Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 28. This stop on her “Underdressed at the Symphony” tour was a night full of elegant live instrumentation, soothing vocals and a surprising amount of minion cosplays.
The scene outside of the historic venue felt more like a fashion show, a common theme for Webster’s concerts. Under the legendary Radio City neon sign — where they happened to misspell the name of the tour —stood a swarming crowd of Webster’s fanbase sporting their best outfits, from the coolest clothes in their closet to the combo of a yellow shirt and blue overalls paired with a minion beanie. Nobody arrived underdressed for this symphony.
Opening the performance was Japanese indie-pop artist mei ehara, who collaborated with Webster on her 2021 project “I Know I’m Funny haha.” Accompanied by Webster’s band, Ehara set the mood for the night, singing her Japanese-indie songs with soft tones and calming melodies.
Following ehara’s opening, the lights dimmed for Webster’s viral concert introduction. The image of a minion was projected onto a giant t-shirt that hung over the stage, as she and several other minions sang their minionese rendition of “But Not Kiss,” sending the crowd into a frenzy. Following the minions, Webster and her band came on stage and performed the song themselves.
After both the minionese and original performances of “But Not Kiss,” the first leg of Webster’s setlist consisted of tracks off her new album “Underdressed at the Symphony” such as “Wanna Quit All the Time” and “Thinking About You.”
Webster then shifted to tracks from her previous two albums, “Atlanta Millionaires Club” and “I Know I’m Funny haha,” playing fan-favorites like “Right Side of My Neck,” “A Dream With a Baseball Player” and “In a Good Way,” accompanied by an extensive and beautiful acoustic guitar solo.
A highlight of the show was the performance of “Jonny,” when Webster turned the mic to the crowd to sing the witty line, “my dog is my best friend and he doesn’t even know what my name is.” She always follows up this song with “Jonny (Reprise),” a passionate spoken-word poem over the same instrumental where the singer poured her heart out.
Webster concluded the show with an encore, bringing out her best friend and bassist Nunu. “This is my best friend Nunu. The two performed “Feeling Good Today” with Nunu on the keys.
During the encore, Webster introduced the rest of her band and made the crowd give their flowers to opener ehara. She ended the night with an elegant performance of “Kingston,” her most popular song, finishing off with a bang.
A graceful display of her vocal, instrumental and songwriting talents, Faye Webster’s crowd-pleasing performance of both fan-favorites and new releases made for an unforgettable night at the symphony. After rocking the most iconic venue on her tour, the singer will continue to overdeliver during the “Underdressed at the Symphony” tour in stops across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
