Words and photo by Nancy Kiner
I brought my dad to see Indigo De Souza at the 9:30 Club on October 24. I have loved Indigo since I was in High School, and couldn’t wait to see her, even though she was not playing “Home Team,” my favorite track of hers. I was excited to see someone I have loved for so many years, both of us having aged and changed. I think that was the most intriguing aspect of the show. As a listener and lover of I Love My Mom and Any Shape You Take, I was both satisfied and surprised that so much of the show consisted of her recent works.
The 9 PM show began with “Be My Love” off her most recent album, Precipice. The Connecticut-born, but North Carolina-based artist in a monochrome pink outfit reached ethereal octaves within the first ten minutes of the show, leaving girls behind me crying and leaving my dad in awe. Organically swaying across the stage light, she seemed ethereal.
Indigo moved back to 2023 with her next song choice, “Wasting Your Time.” This song has always been special to me because it breaks the barriers of her sound. It flipped the vibe on its head and revived all of the angst in the room.
“I am in and out of my world / I am devout / To a darkness you can’t see.”
Indigo’s curls bounced as her head banged along to the heavy guitar riff carrying the song. She carried a raw rock aesthetic that was entrancing to the packed crowd at the 9:30 Club. Indigo effortlessly moved from rock to a softer indie vibe and kept her fans engaged throughout the entire set, saving her biggest hit, “Take Off Your Pants,” for last.
As her set came to a close, Indigo De Souza gave an incredible display of femininity and sonic growth as she moved between pieces from 2018 to 2025. It’s different to sing a song about social acceptance and identity as a 22-year-old versus the way I screamed it when I was 18. “When am I gonna start being cool?,” we all ask ourselves. Then, in LA in High School, now as an “adult” in college, I ask myself. But at that moment, we were all cool. Me, all of the teenage girls in the pit, their friends, parents, and my dad.
