On Sunday, March 2nd, Grace Enger and opener Jake Minch played a stupendous show at Schubas Tavern. Enger’s hybrid sound of Disney Channel pop and beautiful melodic folk made for an eclectic show. Prior to the show, a memo between fans told everyone to show up wearing stripes. Enger followed suit, coming onto the stage in a navy blue mini skirt and a blue and white striped long sleeve shirt.
Opening the show, Minch’s sound was soft and deep with lyrics reflecting on intimate life stories like his tumultuous relationship with his sister. His cover of “Funeral” by Phoebe Bridgers brought me to tears.
Enger’s most recent project, The Alchemist, chronicles a tale as old as time itself: what it means to be loved, to lose, and to start over again.
In her song, “Love Will Find Me,” she sings about feeling comfortable being single while also wanting someone beside her in her most vulnerable moments. “I’m not scared of being alone but I’d like someone beside me.”
Enger sees herself as an alchemist, singing about how she wishes everything she touches could turn to gold: “I am the alchemist/I can turn rust to gold/Take out the bitterness and leave in the good I know is there.” When I first heard these lyrics months ago, I thought of King Midas,who could turn anything into gold. She sings about how seeing the best in someone during a heartbreak makes it harder to get over the person.
Enger realizes the effect her music has had on other people positioned in similar situations. At one point in the concert she said, “I think we’re all singers.” Passionate fans held up butterflies, as a sign that metamorphosis and change is an essential part of the human experience. It is always so sweet and endearing to see how enthusiastic fans of an artist can connect with each other on a spiritual level.
At the end of the show, many fans were talking to Enger’s parents about the wonderful job she did. It was a very sweet and heartfelt moment seeing how proud Enger’s parents, family, and friends are of her. Her guitarist is a childhood friend that she has known since 2 years old.
With intimate and heartfelt performances, Grace Enger proves to be a star in the making.