Indigo De Souza @ the Gothic Theatre
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to catch yet another one of Indigo De Souza’s live performances. She has been a constant staple of my music for a good few years now, making it to 4 of her shows before this one. At show number five, I was able to take moments to reflect on how her music has soundtracked so many of my hardships, but also brought me into spaces that have given me healing. The people I have met while attending her shows, the surrender of my baggage due to her lyrics, all of it has made a profound impact on me.
Music has always acted like a time capsule. I hear the opening note to a song and get jolted back to a previous version of myself. Maybe to when I first heard the song, or when it hit me the hardest. Similar to how she describes her love in the song Younger and Dumber, “The love I feel is so powerful / It can take you anywhere”, her music takes me back to North Carolina. This night in particular I was back at Legends, a venue that was swallowed by a sink hole during Hurricane Helene. With Legends, the sinkhole also took my experiences with it, as this place will only live on through my memory.
I can’t help but think back to a particular memory. It was a freezing early February night in 2023 and Indigo was playing a show in my college town for $10 a ticket. Accompanying me to the concert was one of my best friends and a rag tag bunch of buddies we picked up along the way. Also in attendance was my ex, who I was not on speaking terms with. Indigo’s music had been a crutch through my breakup. It happened while I was studying abroad the year prior, thousands of miles from home, so naturally soundtracking my breakup to music from my corner of the world just felt right. I found myself surrounded by love and community, despite the anxiety that loomed behind me. My best friend Ash ended up grabbing us a setlist and we split it down the middle to both commemorate the night. We ended up back at the bar my best friend Eli works at in order to receive a decompressing hug and a cheeky beer. It was a heavy emotional night, but once again, music carried me through it.
I had a similar experience this time around. While I was not visited by an ex, it was someone who I hadn’t seen in a while. I knew we shared the love of her music as I had been gifted an old Indigo shirt of theirs, but I had forgotten that they very well could be at the show. I was startled to see them approach me with such ease after the length of time that had passed without communication but was somewhat comforted that it wasn't a huge ordeal like it had been for me back in 2023. Once the show started, every ounce of anxiety washed away, wiping the slate clean. In this concert environment in particular, the shared catharsis is strong, and carries itself into each one of her shows.
For me, hearing "Darker Than Death" was the icing on top of an already awe inspiring show. The song from her 2021 album, "Any Shape You Take", seemed like a visit to a younger, more naive and frightened version of herself. Towards the end, a slight smile crept onto her face. It was a smile filled with growth and acceptance. It is a smile that I have started to wear myself. I can’t help but see our lives mirror each other in a broad sense. Once again, Indigo had created a space full of understanding through her art. She has a gift of bringing people together despite unfortunate circumstances.
Finishing the show with another throwback, "Take Off Your Pants", was just another time machine moment. After this song being my introduction to her years prior, it was still my first time, technically seeing it live. She sound checked it back in 2022, while my friend Olivia and I were waiting for the doors to open for the Lucy Dacus show at the Orange Peel. I remember being disappointed that it didn't make it onto her set, as at the time it was one of the only songs I knew of hers. Finally hearing it as the closer this time around just shot me right back to all of those moments. I was back with younger me for a second and it was lovely to dance with her again.
I'm now over 3 years out from that night in Boone, but carry that girl through each day I keep moving forward as a reminder of my strength. It's been easier to find full circle moments lately, and this night was no exception. Being on barricade in Legends, recognizing concert photography is a route I wanted to go down, and actually doing that just a few years later, feels surreal. Cheers to many more full circle moments and more live Indigo De Souza!
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