Jessie Reyez – The Yessie Tour Review

We headed to Paramount theater on this rainy evening in Seattle to catch one of the biggest rising stars of the last few years. Jessie Reyez has made a solid wave in the music industry, and it seems like the only way is up for this young talent. Her second studio album Yessie was recently released, and the eponymous tour has been passing through the states and will end in early December. Reyez found success with her 2016 single, “Figures” and gained recognition with her multiple collaborations with Eminem, a Grammy nomination, millions of YouTube views, and opening for Billie Eilish.

The venue was packed with excited fans that were chanting, “Jessie, Jessie, Jessie,” every time they could until she actually took the stage. In the middle of the stage there were two large-sized hands facing up like they were ready to receive something, perhaps they were extending to pray or reaching for a higher power. Other than that the stage seemed pretty stripped down with enough room for Reyez to move around. The set started with “Mood,” “Shutter Island,” and “Break Me Down,” as fans screamed with excitement and sang along to the words.

From the beginning what was noticeable was Reyez’s power to effortlessly connect with her fans. She chatted with them and made it feel like there wasn’t any distance there. She made sure everyone was present and enjoyed the moment connecting fans with each other in the start having them say hi to the person on their left and then their right. She even noticed a sign that said draw my next tattoo and grabbed in and drew something in the box for them. Reyez introduced her band and made a point to shout them out by name a few times throughout the show along with anyone that helped on stage guiding the audience, “This is Heather, say hi Heather,” and everyone repeated a couple of times.

The performance felt very familiar and carefree while Reyez displayed her vocal talents through her songs. Highlights were, “Coffin,” “Before Love Came to Kill Us,” “Forever,” and “Imported,” which closed the main set. Reyez returned for an encore with a cover of Calving Harris’ and Dua Lipa’s, “One Kiss,” which she also wrote, and the room turned into a club for a few moments. High energy and good vibes as everyone sang along to the popular song.

The pop star then took a seat in the front of the stage with her guitar alone as the lights went low and she faced her fans. She thanked everyone for being present and for keeping her going as she wouldn’t be there without them. She played “Figures,” as everyone illuminated their phone lights creating the ambience in the room. This moment was magical.

Words and photos: @s.barkalakis