A sense of calmness blanketed the universe for a moment as Australian indie folk rock group The Paper Kites took the stage in front of a sold out Independent. Led by front man Sam Bentley, The Paper Kites delivered an honest and true performance of their artistic vision. Sam’s soulful vocals are doused in a sense of tradition and beautifully feature his Australian accent. These smooth vocals are supported by incredibly talented multi instrumentalists Christina Lacy, David Powys, and Sam Rasmussen with Josh Bentley on the drums. The Paper Kites started off the night with an upbeat indie rock type of sound with looping guitars and driving bass lines; however, it was when The Paper Kites shifted to downtempo folk rock that their talent and sound really started to shine.
Sam took the time in between songs to chat with the audience exchanging funny quips and jokes. He explained to the audience that his favorite way to listen to music was to turn off all the lights because it allowed him to become completely immersed in the sound. The Paper Kites proceeded to turn off all the lights in the Independent shrouding the audience in darkness. It was a magical moment, taking away any ego that the audience was bringing to the show and allowing everyone to focus on the reason that brought them together, the music. The energy in the room was palpable as the audience sang along to “Bloom”, The Paper Kites’ most popular track, racking up more than 60 million plays on Spotify.
As the lights came back on Christina dove into an ethereal cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” pairing the downtempo folk sound with an American rock classic. The Paper Kites came back on stage for one of the most unique encores I’ve ever witnessed. The five members grouped around a single mic and sang an acoustic stripped down version of their song “Halcyon,” with a single guitar and five angelic voices. The Paper Kites own their sound; for an hour and a half they completely submerged The Independent into a sound bath of tranquility. With multiple sold out shows on their tour, The Paper Kites have proved to fans new and old that they are onto something special, and I look forward to seeing what they tackle next.
Sam took the time in between songs to chat with the audience exchanging funny quips and jokes. He explained to the audience that his favorite way to listen to music was to turn off all the lights because it allowed him to become completely immersed in the sound. The Paper Kites proceeded to turn off all the lights in the Independent shrouding the audience in darkness. It was a magical moment, taking away any ego that the audience was bringing to the show and allowing everyone to focus on the reason that brought them together, the music. The energy in the room was palpable as the audience sang along to “Bloom”, The Paper Kites’ most popular track, racking up more than 60 million plays on Spotify.
As the lights came back on Christina dove into an ethereal cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” pairing the downtempo folk sound with an American rock classic. The Paper Kites came back on stage for one of the most unique encores I’ve ever witnessed. The five members grouped around a single mic and sang an acoustic stripped down version of their song “Halcyon,” with a single guitar and five angelic voices. The Paper Kites own their sound; for an hour and a half they completely submerged The Independent into a sound bath of tranquility. With multiple sold out shows on their tour, The Paper Kites have proved to fans new and old that they are onto something special, and I look forward to seeing what they tackle next.
