Your Smith – Fine Line – Minneapolis MN – January 21st 2020

Your Smith live at the Fine Line.

Review and photos by Patrick Dunn

When a special post from Your Smith popped up on Instagram “MINNEAPOLIS IS SOLD OUT … can’t wait to come home”, my anticipation for her January 21^st show at the Fine Line increased exponentially. I always love when an artist shows a little extra excitement for a hometown show and even better, offers up a little something beyond the planned set-list as was the case last night. Smith’s Twin Cities appearance was part of the In Between Plans tour, a month long trek that has been generating capacity crowds at many of the 18 scheduled dates.

The Fine Line’s layout was an excellent fit for this show, big enough for production value yet very intimate in feel. I was a bit surprised at the lack of gear on-stage considering I went in expecting a full band. Turns out Smith was plenty capable of filling any potential voids with a laptop / drum machine setup and really seemed to enjoy controlling whatever direction she wanted the music to go. Important above all, her vocal was placed perfectly in the mix for the full duration of her hour long set, producing a very pleasing and effective result.

Her bold move to shift artistically away from Caroline Smith and perform under a new alter ego has been well documented and is proving to be a model for others to learn from. I thought her stage presence came across as fresh and free, confirming she is back to feeling authentic in her element. I couldn’t help but notice how often she was smiling, which in addition to being infectious, added to the overall fun vibe. The evenings attire channeled a style I’d compare to throwback Michael Jackson (complete with penny loafers), but with an edgy more current feel that better suits her personality.

Staying true to her new direction, she primarily performed tracks from the 2 E.P.’s released under Your Smith (Bad Habit and Wild Wild Woman). The set got underway with two of my favorites “Man of Weakness” and “Wild Wild Woman”, after which she joked, “I had to hold myself together for that song because my mom is her tonight.” She did also blend in some covers like Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On”, and made it feel like they were impulsive choices.

“The Spot” is the light hearted, upbeat release that officially introduced Your Smith into the world, and stood out as a crowd favorite. Her soulful side was in full force on the seductive “Ooh Wee”, cued up with some of her best commentary “Minneapolis, you look fuckin’ beautiful, do you know that … you got me shook tonight and it’s been a while since I felt that way.” The evening ended on a heartfelt note with one last song she felt was appropriate to play in Minneapolis where we all started out as fans of Caroline Smith. “Child of Moving On” was dedicated in thanks to the process that ultimately brought us together for the new and improved Your Smith.

Please make a point to check out her fantastic supporting act Chelsea Jade. Her highly choreographed and entertaining set was the perfect compliment in both sound and style.

Set List
Man of Weakness
Wild Wild Woman
Bad Habit
Hold On (Wilson Phillips)
Ooh Wee (mixed in Love On Top – Beyonce)
Trying Not To Love You
Crooner Medley (including Beyond the Sea – Bobby Darin)
The Spot
Debbie
In Between Plans
Make a Man Out Of Me
Encore:
Bloody Mother Fuckin Asshole (Martha Wainwright)
Child of Moving On