Somewhere in a dark, hazy room, I am still dancing to the sounds of Vendredi sur Mer (while also fighting with my camera).
The Swiss singer-songwriter, real name Charline Mignot, has been touring North America through the month of March in support of her third record Malabar Princess. Vendredi sur Mer visited Chicago on March 12 at Lincoln Hall, her first time ever in the city.
Vendredi sur Mer speaks to Chicago fans in between songs at Lincoln Hall on March 12. (Damien Dennis/TPM)
When the invite to the show appeared in my inbox, I went to YouTube to have a listen before responding. The first song I found was “Hard” (feat. Hanni El Khatib) off the recent record. I was immediately hooked and responded.
Vendredi sur Mer is known for her synth-pop sound and poetic lyrics powered by a powerful (and beautiful) voice. The one draw back? Her lyrics are primarily French. But you don’t need to understand the language to know it’s time to dance!
The stage production left a bit to be desired from a photographer’s perspective. The room was dark with a haze lofting about. There was often minimal stage lighting with Vendredi sur Mer and her bandmates, a guitarist/pianist and drummer, often playing in what felt like pitch black.
But the performance was stellar. Vendredi sur Mer joked around with both of her bandmates and praised their performances throughout the night. For example, when performing “Arrêter le temps” (originally featuring the pianist/composer Sofiane Pamart), she joked that her collaborator couldn’t be there but her bandmate was more than capable to fill in.
They performed a lot of new tracks, including “Des Montagnes de Toi,” “Tout résonne,” the aforementioned “Hard” and the title track – “Malabar Princess.”
Vendredi sur Mer also played older songs from her first two records. At one point, a fan shouted to her to play a specific tune. She chuckled and said they weren’t prepared for that one, but would play it when they return.
It was a great performance. This was my first time at Lincoln Hall, and it’s a very small venue with a bar up front. The place was packed, some fans of Vendredi sur Mer while others just wanting to see some live music. It’s safe to assume everyone left a fan that night.
Now excuse me while I bump more “Hard” and figure out how to shoot in pitch black!
