Your Smith dazzled a hometown crowd in Minneapolis last Saturday night.

For many in attendance, including Your Smith herself, it was the first in-person, indoor concert after over a year of music industry lockdown.

Smith took to the stage accompanied by a twinkling instrumental track. Just as the lights came up, Smith uttered one word: “Fuck.” The relief and release was palpable. Remarking on the simple fact that she makes music to perform music, Smith became emotional in recounting her pandemic experience and the limitations she felt being unable to perform.

It’s hard to remember specific moments of this show, it felt like a dream. She delighted fans with songs off of her 2018 EP Bad Habit and 2019 follow up Wild Wild Woman; she also performed one or two tracks from her days performing under the name Caroline Smith.

After returning to Minneapolis after a stint in LA, Smith has been welcomed back with open arms. The move sees Smith continuing to collaborate with local artists, including members from indie darlings Hippo Campus. DeCarlo Jackson joined to add bright, trumpet tones to a few songs, and Smith debuted an unreleased track featuring vocals from Jake Luppen. Usually performing solo with limited production, these simple yet effective additions added depth and warmth to her performance. Despite only having released two EPs and a handful of singles, every song from Smith is solid and just plain wonderful. Each song could be considered a glowing gem and has its own unique feel and story. Smith is a true auteur, blending elements of various genres and time periods into her own brand of indie pop.

The first show back did come with one tech snafu, which Smith handled with ease, joking with the crowd and quickly moving onto one of her most popular tunes, Debbie. Smith took a moment after to say, “This is insane. I can’t believe you guys are here.”

After over a year of concert drought, Your Smith was a breath of fresh air and a much-needed drink of water. The tease of new music brings excitement and we can only hope that we’ll hear an announcement soon. The venue itself was absolutely electric, everyone was present in the moment and held absolute focus on stage. There are no adequate words to describe the experience. One came away with a warm feeling and a caffeine-like buzz, and nobody wanted the night to end.

Photos: Morgan Winston