“I especially love Austin now because this will forever be the city where I found out that I received a Grammy nomination,” Laufey said to the crowd at Paramount Theatre on Friday. In addition to her ongoing sold-out headline Bewitched tour, the pop-jazz musician-songwriter earned her first Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album hours before the Austin show. 

Arriving in Austin equipped with guitar, piano, cello and vocals, Laufey set the theater ablaze with the musically theatrical trials and tribulations of young love, or lack thereof, for a spellbinding 90-minute set. Opting for a theater venue beautifully facilitated the concert’s standing somewhere between a laid-back pop concert and a formal classical performance. Though not a jump-around and dance type of affair, the emotion behind Laufey’s musicianship captivated the audience, who fully engrossed themselves in the music. Laufey strayed from the typical airy vocal quality found on her records for a more forceful vocal display.

The audience, a sea of hair ribbons and Doc Martens, cheered as the curtain opened to reveal a stage primed for Laufey. Beginning with “Fragile” and a cherry red electric guitar in hand, Laufey rotated between instruments throughout the rest of the night. Joined by bass, drums, keys and backing vocals to start, the singer transitioned to a more solo performance as the night progressed. While her records certainly prove impressive, Laufey’s fiery and animated presence made the live experience simply transcendent. 

“I grew up playing classical music and jazz music and always wanted to find a way of tying all those worlds together, and thank you for giving me the space to do that,” Laufey said. 

The multi-instrumentalist graduated Berklee College of Music in 2021 and began classical piano and cello training at four years old. Known for making more traditional genres appealing to younger audiences, Laufey’s interludes between songs elaborated on her technical and narrative decisions as per her frequently articulated goal of making music more digestible.

“I wanted to challenge myself to compose something for this album that didn’t rely on vocals or lyrics,” Laufey said after playing an entirely instrumental composition, “Nocturne (Interlude),” on the glossy-black baby grand piano at center stage. Ending the set with a gut-wrenching rendition of “Lovesick” and finale of “From the Start” while the crowd sang along, Laufey thanked Austin before an applause-filled goodbye.

For the encore, Laufey sang her brand new Christmas song “Better Than Snow” released in collaboration with her childhood inspiration, Norah Jones, celebrating yet another milestone for the singer. 

Before the night’s end, “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” rang through the theater as Laufey reminisced on her humble beginnings: “If you think you have limitations, they may very well be your strengths. Who knows — in 10 years, you may be getting a Grammy nomination.”