As soon as she came on stage and the almost experimental melodic sound erupted, I was transported to a different place. Having listened to Julia Holter’s music over the last week did not prepare me for how calm and at ease hearing it live would make me. The music was intricate, yet soothing, and I knew right away that I was in for a treat for the remainder of the set. 

About six minutes in, the bagpipes came in and my surprise only grew as the immersive sound experience incorporated that surprise element. Little cries throughout the audience let me know I was not alone in this excitement. Holter’s songs run longer than average with the recorded versions with the bulk of songs being over five minutes in length. Through the live performance, this further allowed for experimentation. Often, I could not tell where one song ended and another began because of the flow and changes in instrumentals. This was good and allowed the audience to get lost in the ethereal sound. 

She opened the show with a delightfully haunting rendition of “Sun Girl,” the first track off of her newest album “Something in the Room She Moves,” which was released in March of this year. The album focuses more on sharing feelings than conveying a message or story. Since 2010, Holter has released 13 albums including one soundtrack and two live-recorded records. 

There is something to say about an artist who can hold the attention of the crowd to the point where they truly only focus on the music. They are not distracted by conversations or outside influences like phones. The crowd zones in and focuses intently on what is happening in front of them. That happened here, which made the show what it was because the soft, soothing melodies would not have an impact if one could hear murmurs from the crowd. 

Holter has carefully created her own unique sound during her time as a composer and has truly created something unique and special—an island floating in a music industry inundated with regurgitated pop beats and melodies.