Bowery Ballroom in New York, NY — September 23, 2024

Luna Li’s multitude of talents were on display at Bowery Ballroom show.

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Luna Li brought her “When a Thought Grows Wings” tour to the cozy Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan on Monday. Her warm velvety sounds soared through the packed venue as she began with the opening track of her sophomore album, “Confusion Song”. She continued through the set performing most of the recent record, also called When a Though Grows Wings, with a few songs from her debut record sprinkled in. As the title describes, her recent sophomore record explores ideas, introspections, and ponderings about life and love. These musings often come in the form of questions in her songs, being posed to no one and anyone. 

To see a Luna Li show is to be awed by her talents as a musician and performer. In addition to her ethereal voice, Li treated the audience to the sounds of her guitar, harp, violin, and flute playing. Her presence on stage creates a relaxed and comforting atmosphere, perfect for enjoying a Monday night in a busy city. The instrumentation on her most recent record is characterized by a soft and silky quality that pairs perfectly with her drifting voice. Hearing the songs live is an even more elevated experience, and seeing many of these instruments being played by Li herself. On tracks such as “Golden Hour” Li doesn’t hesitate to cut through the velvety sounds with a distorted electric guitar moment. This unique pairing of sounds was present on her first album as well, and was produced on stage in collaboration with a full band of other talented musicians.  

Despite her recent release, Luna Li is always writing and trying out new songs, and she told the crowd that the first song of her encore was an unreleased new song. For the final song of her encore, Li played “Afterglow” from her debut album, and shared the mic with a group of fans in the front row for the second verse. She ended the set by expressing how meaningful it is to be able to share her music with everyone in the room. 

Luna Li’s sophomore album, When a Thought Grows Wings is out now and she continues her North American tour in the US and her home country of Canada for the next month. More information about the tour can be found on her website here!

Words & Photography: Kimmy Curry