Review at The Academy on February 1st 2012
Review and Photos: Abraham Tarrush
Fresh from her sold out date in Academy 2 last October, Kina Grannis returns to Dublin to play the Academy. A YouTube sensation, Grannis rose to fame when she won the Doritos’ Crash The Super Bowl contest, having her video Message From Your Heart aired to almost 100 million viewers. Not a bad way to be introduced to the world.
Her online following soared, resulting in a record deal. However, due to lack of creative control, she passed on the offer and decided to release her début independently. Stairwells charted on the Billboard top 200, and placed at #5 on the iTunes Pop Charts. The album was re-released in 2011 to coincide with her first international run of shows. The video for her single In Your Arms was released online in November, and has clocked up over 5 million views to date. The video was widely acclaimed for the ‘jellybean art’ style used, and is the result of a year of freeze-frame animations. Surprisingly, the venue is far from full tonight. A bit odd considering how fast the last show sold out, perhaps the step up in capacity was ambitious, nonetheless we have an excited crowd.
This time round, she is accompanied by cellist Keith Tutt, who also provided instrumentals for Stairwells. It’s a great addition to the performance, helping bridge the gap with the studio tracks. Speaking of her excitement to be back on tour, and expressing her appreciation for her following, Kina proceeds to record the cheering crowd for her tour diary – something of a tradition after the last tour.
She performs a strong set, with a surprisingly small amount of covers, the first being a new twist on the Britney Spears single Oops I Did it Again, as well as plenty of her own material, old and new. The latter shows a fresh, yet readily identifiable sound which makes expectations of a sophomore release look very promising. Returning for her encore, she performs The Goldfish Song, with an anecdote of its true meaning. Joined by support act Imaginary Friend, the night comes to a close with a cover of Coldplay’s Fix You, a recent addition to her YouTube channel.
It’s been a night of mixed emotions. In regards to live shows, there’s still a fair bit to go, but understandable considering the nature of her rise. Her talent is undeniable, and it will be nice to watch her grow as an artist.
