Nilüfer Yanya Debuts "PAINLESS" at LA's Famous Roxy Theatre
Squeezing in a set of incredibly important shows right between Coachella, Nilüfer Yanya made her way to one of Los Angeles’ most famous venues, The Roxy Theatre. Bursting with history going all the way back to the early 1970’s, Nilüfer and her talented band made that place their home with a memorable set fresh off the release of her latest record, PAINLESS. We were there, front and center, and have a full review and photo gallery to recount the night.
Opening the evening was another one of our favorite bands Altin Gün that completely blew the roof off of the Roxy with their dynamic mix of psychedelic Turkish folk rock. It set the stage for the rest of the night and ultimately the crowd was as pumped as ever the moment Nilüfer made her way out. Kicking the night off softly with a couple of her new tracks off PAINLESS and then transitioning to a more vibrant set of hits off of Inside Out and Miss Universe, she delicately led us all with her unique vocals that make her stand out from the rest of the pack.
To be completely honest, it was shocking to see that she’s only got three other band members backing her making all that noise. The gem of the pack certainly had to be her saxophonist who was laying it down from start to finish on the set. As much as Nilüfer is clearly the glue keeping it all together, the crowd was consistently giving it up for Jazzi Bobbi everytime she picked that thing up. It added such a nice complexity and we’re thrilled it wasn’t just a synth patch recreating all those noises. We also have to give a major shout out to the bassist and drummer for having moments to themselves as well.
For a co-headlining set between Nilüfer Yanya and Altin Gün, it was definitely one of those nights where they each break out the hits and play to what the crowd wants given their limited times. With that being said though, it’s no surprise in the slightest that these news songs that we’d never witnessed live before translate so well. The drums are at the forefront on PAINLESS and the experience was a drum heavy set completed by Nilüfer’s always heavenly vocals. Plain and simple, she’s right at the start of her tour and we sincerely recommend everyone out there grab a ticket if she’s headed anywhere near you.
For all things Nilüfer Yanya, to listen, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for more, please check out the links below.
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