New Zealand-native Ella Yelich-O’Connor, better-known by her stage name “Lorde,” made a mesmerizing appearance at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield on Sunday.
At a stop on her North America tour, the 17-year-old singer-songwriter performed tracks off her debut studio album Pure Heroine, along with a cover of Bon Iver’s “Heavenly Father.”
Shrouded in darkness and robed in a purple ensemble, Lorde’s small stature was no match for her overwhelming stage presence. The minimalist aesthetic of the lighting brought focus to her quirky gestures, unique vocals and musical accompaniment.
Opening the evening with “Glory and Gore” and “White Teeth Teens,” Lorde welcomed the Colorado crowd before singing “Tennis Court,” during which photos from her hometown were projected on to the screens. Her Bon Iver cover was well-received, but she saved the highly popularized crowd-pleasers “Royals” and “Team” until the very end. Little surprisingly, they yielded the most audience excitement.
The simplicity of the overall concert was unconventional, much like the young artist herself, but Lorde surely proved her authenticity through her performance.
While the arena was not packed to capacity, the decibel level of the audience that had come to hear this “queen bee” was astounding. Lorde confessed she would love to someday play Red Rocks Amphitheatre. If the sincerity apparent in Sunday’s show was a testament to her dedication as a performer, Red Rocks may not be too far in the future.
Contact CU Independent Photojournalist Jade Lang at jade.lang@colorado.edu
