“Austin, hello,” Nessa Barrett said to the Sips & Sounds Music Festival audience on Saturday. “I’m so happy to be here today. Me and my band are going to play a few songs and we’re going to have so much fun.”
Dressed in a black and silver bralette with matching mini skirt, Barrett opened the stage with “S.L.U.T.” She danced seductively with her mic stand and cat walked to center stage.
“Sing it!” Barrett said at the beginning of her performance, encouraging the crowd’s excitement about the performance to come. Unbeknownst to them, Nessa would leave the audience disappointed with a monotone setlist, repetitive moves and overall lack of stage presence.
Online, Barrett presents her music with more energy and enthusiasm compared to the performance at Sips & Sounds. Showing more movement, attitude and chic expressions, rather than the more stationary and withdrawn presence at the festival.
Barrett performed with a white electric guitar during “DIRTY LITTLE SECRET.” Then, she performed “MUSTANG BABY” and “PASSENGER PRINCESS” at her mic stand while on her knees with no transitions or crowd interactions.
Strutting from side to side, Barrett continued to run her hands through her hair. She constantly stopped at the same points on stage, thus limiting her audience interactions.
While singing “DISCO” and “BLUE VALENTINE,” Barrett paraded around the stage. She repeatedly bounced between kneeling on the stage, running her hands through her hair and shaking her hips.
Lacking verbal transitions through her set, Barrett connected with her audience by playing her well-known songs later in her performance.
“Don’t call me your ex cause I never met you. We never had sex, we never got tattoos,” the crowd chanted along with Barrett during “PINS AND NEEDLES,” finally revealing the audience’s lyrical knowledge of her music.
Still short of any significant moments, Barrett rounded out her stage with “AFTERCARE,” still glued to her mic stand.
“Thank you for coming, … and I hope you have an amazing time at the festival today,” Barrett said, spinning and sashaying offstage.
