The crowd at Lennon Stella’s show at The Blue Room at Third Man Records could only be described as grateful. Every second of silence from Stella was filled with fans thanking her for returning after a six-year hiatus. But for every bit of gratitude from the crowd, Stella seemed equally thrilled to be back on stage. And with a set of songs as stunning as the tracks on Sleeping Lion at your disposal, how could you not be thrilled to perform them?
The Nashville stop was one of just a few in early support of her sophomore album, Sleeping Lion. In key places (Nashville, Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto), Stella is making her way back into the public eye through cozy gatherings with her closest supporters.
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Lennon Stella’s ‘Sleeping Lion’ Performance at Nashville’s Blue Room
Andy Shauf’s production on Sleeping Lion is stellar. But hearing these tracks in a stripped-down setting was somehow even more captivating. The Blue Room saw Stella with minimal accompaniment, hypnotizing the crowd with nothing but a couple of guitars, a clarinet, and her poignant vocals.
The “living-room” style of the show put this record’s vulnerability into even sharper focus. From her mother being present while she performed a song about her parents’ relationship, “If She’ll Let Me”, to other behind-the-scenes tidbits, the show’s simplicity was a perfect fit for this album. Sure, she might do the big-band, high-production thing. However, her Nashville show remains a testament to the talent it takes to lay everything bare on a stage with no net to catch you.
The Blue Room is unique in that it can record straight to vinyl at select shows. That wasn’t the case for Stella’s set. Still, it’s the kind of performance you wish you could revisit whenever you want. It felt like a show from decades past, with a broken-down barrier between audience and artist. Harmonies and conversations from the crowd created a seamless flow of creativity from the stage to the standing room.
To go from not having played live for six years to being in a small room with an intimate crowd is a big feat. In some ways, it’s tiptoeing back into the swing of things. And in others, it’s jumping in headfirst. But there’s really no better way to present these songs. She certainly could’ve filled a bigger room and added more flourish. But as her Nashville show showed, Sleeping Lion is best seen up close, where every subtlety gets a spotlight.
Photo by Catherine Powell/Getty Images
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