Lenka w/ Nick Howard – Stubb’s -

Photos and article by: Christian Sena

AUSTIN – You don’t always have to hate Mondays, right? Even if you did, Lenka is in town to make your days brighter. The Australian singer, now back with a new album, commenced her Texas tour in Dallas and tonight… Austin!

Nick Howard opened the show with his one-man band. This was his first time ever visiting Texas and he jokingly said people were having trouble understanding his British accent. Fortunately, his music was very easy to understand, and the crowd–seemingly also their first time listening to the singer-songwriter–really enjoyed his music. In order to satisfy the fans, he didn’t forget to sing a charming cover of our own Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time. Soon after performing a short setlist of six incredible songs, Lenka took the stage.

She came with a full band and started off with Blue Skies, casually picking up the rhythm of the crowd. Lenka described her new album as the happy songs; they’re like pills of joy, taken once a day. The Bright Side is definitely cheerful and some of the tracks are dance worthy. Lenka has always been a quirky-fun human being. The stage props were clouds, raindrops, and a skirt wrapped around her keyboard. She admitted that she made her own merchandise and there’s no doubt that the stage was a display of her creativity. Playing through a 17-song setlist, she didn’t shy away from offering surprises. First was a duet with Nick Howard, then a cover of Milky Chance’s Stolen Dance, as well as some generous encores. She even sang Blue Skies again with an R&B groove as requested by the audience. If you think she left out her popular old songs, not a chance. Trouble Is A Friend and The Show were on her list and that my friends, is how Austin, Texas saw the bright side.