On Saturday March 15th, Paris Paloma waltzed onto the stage at Thalia Hall. Her ethereal, fairy-like presence made one feel transported into a Lord of The Rings film. Indeed, many people looked like they had just stepped out of a gathering of woodland nymphs. Closer to the merch stand, in the back of the venue, there was a pile of books where fans could take part in book swaps. When asked why she likes Paris Paloma’s music, one fan, Alex, said “It’s emotional rage. That’s why I like it.” Alex’s friend Ellen describes Paloma’s music as a sound that “makes her feel feminine rage.”
The openers of the show, a sister troupe named SarahJulia, exuded a similar fairy-like vibe to Paloma, with a bit more edge. One song they played, “Conspiracy Theories,” was all about trusting and seeing signs in mystical things. As an introduction, Sarah said “This song is called “Conspiracy Theories.” I just wanted to clarify, we are not conspiracy theorists. It started out with Santa Claus and now we ended up in therapy again.” There was an instant uproar in the crowd.
After the opening act, Paris Paloma took the stage. Paloma’s sound is like a cross between The Indigo Girls and Florence and The Machine. Her sultry alto voice filled the venue as women in corsets danced in circles. Adding to the mythical aesthetic, Paloma recently composed a song for Lord of The Rings: War of Rohirrim called “The Rider,” which she performed at the show. The crowd went wild instantaneously.
Paloma invited Sarah and Julia to sing the song “as a good a reason” with her on stage, a song about the wisdom and knowledge that is passed down within generations of women within a family. The bonds between women, whether blood bound or not, are sacred. Paloma references the burden of embracing womanhood and being overshadowed by men as a recurring theme in her music. In “the fruits,” she sang “I’m glad it seems to serve you that I was born a daughter and not a son.”
It is a special treat to be in attendance at a Paris Paloma show. At the end of the show, there were even girls who formed dance circles to stand in community with each other. This night was a beautiful exemplification of how a shared girlhood can be a huge bonding experience for many women.