Concert Review: Kali Uchis

Kali Uchis, a Colombian-American singer, gave a fantastic performance on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the 9:30 Club. This was the first of two Washington, DC, performances during her 2018 Isolation Tour. Born in Alexandria, VA, she not only showcased her amazing vocals and style, but she also fully embraced the energy of her hometown crowd.

She entered the stage in a retro white two-piece, a classic Kali look. She opened her set with one of my favorites from her album Isolation, called “Dead To Me,” a track with an ’80s pop melody. With just her and her band, she owned the room with her signature choreography. Watching her have fun dancing without backup dancers greatly influenced the audience, for nearly everyone danced with her.

After flawlessly singing R&B favorites such as “Tyrant” and “Just a Stranger,” she gave the crowd a few of her older classics. Since this was a DC concert, many of the people in the audience were day-one fans. Songs like “Know What I Want” and “Ridin’ Round” from her debut EP Por Vida gave the crowd a taste of her older, more Latin-influenced sound. She had the whole crowd singing along to “Loner,” a slower ballad that shows the uniqueness of her voice and lyrics.

The highlight of the show was the end, when she performed requests from the crowd. She asked us which ones we wanted to hear, and we all decided on “Lottery” and “Speed” from Por Vida. “Lottery” was performed a cappella, so we could all hear the true smoothness of her voice. “Speed” was the final song of the night, and she killed it with her vocals and dancing.

I would recommend a Kali Uchis concert and her music to anyone who appreciates stylistic creativity in performers, as well as talented vocals and vibrant energy.