Review: Cornelia Murr at Pearl Street Warehouse on March 13

This story starts with Storey Littleton.

She has both hands occupied tuning her guitar to the different keys of each song, and in the midst of her plucking, I am encapsulated by her dress. A dress that mirrors the sun hitting the stained glass of Dahlgren Chapel with each sway to the beat of the melody and a statement piece I would definitely consider an “insane find” at the local thrift. In conjunction with a pair of tapping cowboy boots and the electric introduction to Jack—both a vocalist and guitarist as well as the man who played Storey’s ex-boyfriend in her “January” music video—the air at Pearl Street Warehouse was buzzing.

Reverend Baron brought peace with a jazzy saxophone and freshly ironed button-ups. The steady tip and tap of the main vocalist’s loafers meshed with the drummer’s experienced lift and fall of drumsticks. The cherry on top had to have been the sax solo. Insanely mesmerizing.

Storey reenters the narrative once again in all black to support her friend and headliner Cornelia Murr. Ripped black tights replaced her flowy skirt just in time to juxtapose with Murr’s shiny sequined top and iridescent cheek highlighter. Murr’s blazer was stunning with spirals and swirls of white contrasting with the black fabric. A flowy mesh skirt barely kissed the floor as she swept around the stage. These girls know how to put on a show.

The band behind Cornelia looked familiar. The same drummer, bassist, and saxophone/flute-playing keyboardist as Reverend Baron and Storey herself perched over Murr’s shoulder like the apple stuck with sticky tack to the keyboard, overlooking the crowd with glistening eyes. The shaker egg takes us into “In the Wings.”

“Can you turn this mic up?”

“More on the keyboard, please.”

“Meantime” was played after “Gotta Give,” and the nods between band members signaled a change in set list. Despite this, the drums didn’t miss a single beat and led us into the “Cornelia Hallmark”: whistling. As someone who has never been able to produce a single sound resembling that of a whistle, the amazement in my eyes must have been tangible. 

Beams of light pooled in my eyes as I focused on Cornelia, and suddenly the end of the concert was near, and my cheers only got louder. The electricity in the venue was palpable.

I’m not sure if the hazy glow surrounding Cornelia’s head was the lighting playing tricks on my contacts or if she was radiating some kind of heat that only live music can produce in artists and concert-goers, but after this night, I’m sure I’m going to attribute it to the latter.

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Angela Lu is a junior in the College and thoroughly enjoyed this show! P.S. use the photo booth at the venue!