Holly Miranda got taped @ Littlefield - pics & setlist

photos by David Andrako, words by Rachel Kowal

The crowd congregated at Littlefield, expectantly, as clips from previous concerts played in the background. A camera mounted on a pole extended over the audience to capture Holly Miranda‘s BV-copresented set for Baeblemusic.

Holly walked on stage to a chorus of “I love you”s from the audience and took her post, stage right. “Are you alright? Are you hot? Don’t touch anybody,” she joked after the first song. The room was definitely heavy with humidity. As the evening progressed, more and more sweat poured from Holly Miranda and her band. Miranda was joined by a small brass section (trumpet and saxophone) in addition to the usual bass, guitar, and drums and a bevy of surprise guests, including a violin player and four of her friends who jumped on stage to play the sleigh bells for one song. Miranda herself switched back and forth from a guitar and an organ.

Despite the fact that there were a couple of cameras capturing her every move, instead of looking into them, Miranda stared intently at the audience (when her eyes weren’t completely closed). Throughout the show, people kept shouting out her name in admiration.

Miranda may be on the petite side, but she possesses a rich, soulful voice with a surprising range and her music is not for the faint of heart. Though some of the songs have mellow intros, they swell during the chorus and it quickly becomes clear that she means business. At the core, her songs fall more squarely into the rock category than your typical singer-songwriter fare. Even her soulful Etta James cover (“I’d Rather Go Blind”) ended with Holly rocking out.

She closed her initial set with “Pelican Rapids,” a newer song that calls for marriage equality for all. After a minute or two of applause, Miranda and her band came back on stage for a single-song encore (“Singular Acceptance”) to cap off the sweaty but satisfying evening.

If you missed Holly Miranda, she’s playing again at Prospect Park as part of the summer’s Celebrate Brooklyn program. You can also catch her at the more pricy Vivo in Vino. Stay tuned for the videos from Littlefield. More pictures from the show, including one of the setlist, below…