Sia performed at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center this week as part of her nationwide “Nostalgic for the Present Tour.” The show, which began with artists AlunaGeorge and Miguel, was a spectacular combination of music, singing, dancing, and acting – the entertainment went far beyond that presented in an ordinary concert.
The moment the music to Sia’s opener “Alive” started to play, the entire Barclays Center was on its feet. The blinding yet simple white backdrop caught the crowd off guard, but the excitement of Sia’s presence quickly oriented the audience. The humble stage set – surrounded on all sides by stadium seats – was quickly overwhelmed by the raw emotion of Sia’s lyrics and the energy of the performers.
There was never a silent moment during the entire show: Sia eerily whispered almost-inaudible messages between each song, and the audience clung to her every unintelligible word. Each song was accompanied by an interpretive performance with each character on stage donning the iconic “Sia wig.” Some songs included dancers while others featured actors emphasizing facial expressions and emotions. Sia performed “Soon We’ll Be Found” while interpreting her song in sign language.
The uniqueness and creativity of Sia’s show was recognized and honestly reveled in – her energy was contagious throughout Barclay’s Center. The crowd was dancing and singing along with Sia the entire time. The outlandishly captivating costumes were spectacular additions to the artistry; they were all showstoppers, particularly those of the featured dancers of “Titanium” whose giant mascot heads, one panda and one rabbit, elicited the attention of the entire stadium.
Sia’s set list featured 16 songs from a number of her albums and focused on her most recent album, This Is Acting, released in January 2016. The Australian singer-songwriter finished the show with one of her most popular hits, “Chandelier” before returning amidst shouts of “Encore!” and “One more song!” to perform “The Greatest,” which was released in September and is believed to be written in memory of the Orlando Shooting.
Knowledge of Sia’s talent is ubiquitous: her performances in concerts and festivals are outstanding and her work in the studio is without comparison. However, throughout the entire show, Sia was tucked away toward the back of the stage, keeping the visual focus on the dancers who beckoned the spotlight. Massive screens provided every attendee with a clear view of the happenings onstage, ensuring no one missed out on the emotion and movement delivered by Sia’s performer – the sheer creative talent of Sia’s performers absolutely consumed each audience member. The fear of missing a single second was felt throughout the stadium, so all eyes were locked on the stage. Among the performers on stage were 14-year-old dance sensation Maddie Ziegler (Dance Moms, So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation), stand-up comedian Tig Notaro, actor Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave, Love & Mercy), and actress Kristen Wiig (SNL, Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters).
To wrap up the extraordinary show, Sia left the crowd with the inspirational message of “I love you. Keep going.” Sia’s “Nostalgic for the Present Tour” heads next Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana before concluding in Austin, Texas on November 6, so catch her soon!
The moment the music to Sia’s opener “Alive” started to play, the entire Barclays Center was on its feet. The blinding yet simple white backdrop caught the crowd off guard, but the excitement of Sia’s presence quickly oriented the audience. The humble stage set – surrounded on all sides by stadium seats – was quickly overwhelmed by the raw emotion of Sia’s lyrics and the energy of the performers.
There was never a silent moment during the entire show: Sia eerily whispered almost-inaudible messages between each song, and the audience clung to her every unintelligible word. Each song was accompanied by an interpretive performance with each character on stage donning the iconic “Sia wig.” Some songs included dancers while others featured actors emphasizing facial expressions and emotions. Sia performed “Soon We’ll Be Found” while interpreting her song in sign language.
The uniqueness and creativity of Sia’s show was recognized and honestly reveled in – her energy was contagious throughout Barclay’s Center. The crowd was dancing and singing along with Sia the entire time. The outlandishly captivating costumes were spectacular additions to the artistry; they were all showstoppers, particularly those of the featured dancers of “Titanium” whose giant mascot heads, one panda and one rabbit, elicited the attention of the entire stadium.
Sia’s set list featured 16 songs from a number of her albums and focused on her most recent album, This Is Acting, released in January 2016. The Australian singer-songwriter finished the show with one of her most popular hits, “Chandelier” before returning amidst shouts of “Encore!” and “One more song!” to perform “The Greatest,” which was released in September and is believed to be written in memory of the Orlando Shooting.
Knowledge of Sia’s talent is ubiquitous: her performances in concerts and festivals are outstanding and her work in the studio is without comparison. However, throughout the entire show, Sia was tucked away toward the back of the stage, keeping the visual focus on the dancers who beckoned the spotlight. Massive screens provided every attendee with a clear view of the happenings onstage, ensuring no one missed out on the emotion and movement delivered by Sia’s performer – the sheer creative talent of Sia’s performers absolutely consumed each audience member. The fear of missing a single second was felt throughout the stadium, so all eyes were locked on the stage. Among the performers on stage were 14-year-old dance sensation Maddie Ziegler (Dance Moms, So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation), stand-up comedian Tig Notaro, actor Paul Dano (12 Years a Slave, Love & Mercy), and actress Kristen Wiig (SNL, Bridesmaids, Ghostbusters).
To wrap up the extraordinary show, Sia left the crowd with the inspirational message of “I love you. Keep going.” Sia’s “Nostalgic for the Present Tour” heads next Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana before concluding in Austin, Texas on November 6, so catch her soon!