Last night, indie-pop darling Haley Heynderickx made her long-awaited return to Oberlin with her performance at The ’Sco. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to her ’Sco performance, but I was lucky enough to see her two weeks prior at The Roxy at Mahall’s in Lakewood.
Anyone familiar with Heynderickx’s songs knows her for her dainty, lilting voice, which is accentuated by simplistic backing music. Her cult classic debut album, I Need to Start a Garden, and her follow-up album, Seed of a Seed, feature very few instruments, in stark contrast to her concert, which had a live band that was just as central to the performance as Heynderickx herself.
Opening for Heynderickx was her friend Lily Breshears, a fellow Portland native who played the harp as she sang her original songs. Breshears was a charming performer who provided little anecdotes before each of her songs. Clearly both a huge fan of and friend to Heynderickx, she was able to warm up the crowd and get us excited for what was to come.
The concert featured a live drummer, guitarist, and bassist who also happen to be some of Heynderickx’s closest friends. Not only was the music itself elevated from the studio version, but her playful banter with her bandmates made me feel like I was not just watching a concert but a group of friends jam out together.
Despite the difference in backing music between the live and studio versions of her songs, her voice sounded nearly identical on stage to the recordings. This is a testament to Heynderickx’s ability as a vocalist, as it’s clear from hearing her live that she uses very little, if any, autotune.
What made this concert in Lakewood so special was that it was one of the first times Heynderickx performed Seed of a Seed — it had come out just over a week earlier. Although I myself did not know any of the words, I was still able to relish in Heynderickx’s beautiful voice and poetic lyrics. Still, the crowd of Heynderickx superfans had managed to memorize a surprising portion of the lyrics to the album despite how recently it had come out. Heynderickx herself noticed this as well and remarked on how touched she was by the chorus of voices singing back to her throughout the show.
Still, as I expected, the audience — myself included — was most enthusiastic when it came time for her to perform her older songs from I Need to Start a Garden. Halfway through her performance of her sophomore album, Heynderickx sent her band backstage and sang “Drinking Song,” and “The Bug Collector,” some of her biggest hits. While I did have the most fun during those songs, as they were the ones I knew, it would have been nice for her band to have stayed playing with her.
The highlight of the whole show was the closing song, “Oom Sha La La.” Heynderickx denounced encores, instead opting to just stay on stage and play the finale then and there. In addition to the sentimental value of “Oom Sha La La” being the first Heynderickx song I ever listened to, it was also the perfect song for a live audience. Getting to scream the album’s eponymous lyric, “I need to start a garden,” in a room of more than 100 people was a cathartic experience I did not know I needed.
In addition to being a talented performer, Heynderickx was also a very human one. She chatted with the audience about needing to set boundaries, as she was practicing in therapy, and assured the audience that we would all be in bed by 11 p.m. She was able to break down the wall between performer and audience, making me feel like I was in someone’s living room. Heynderickx also requested that audience members not pull out their phones and take photos, and it was refreshing to actually be able to see the artist on stage performing and not have to watch them through a stranger’s screen.
Heynderickx put on a stellar performance that Oberlin students were lucky to see. Her adorable personality and enchanting music made for a spectacular show. Getting to see her in Lakewood was an experience I’ll value for years to come, and I’m sure that her performance at the ’Sco was just as beautiful.
