SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
THE ICON of jazz, Laufey, has finally arrived in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center, after performing 13 consecutive shows for her “Matter of Time” Arena Tour, which ends on March 22 in Barcelona, Spain.
At every concert on the “Matter of Time” tour, all attendees have the chance to win the Best Dressed competition and be recognized by Laufey herself and the entire audience.
My sister and I decided to match in blue-and-white polka-dot tops with white skirts, in hopes of winning it. After arriving at the Delta Center, we were in shock at how much effort Laufey’s fans had put into their outfits for the concert. People were dressed as clocks and various huge skirts that reminded me of a Disney princess. One thing for sure is that Lauvers (Laufey fans) are very creative and know how to make things out of nothing.
When walking around the venue looking for a snack, it felt like a treasure hunt. As my sister and I kept coming across multiple selfie backdrops that Laufey’s team had set up. The first was an inflatable castle with a sign that said, “Laufey Land”. The second one was a photobooth, and they sent us a digital photo strip afterward. However, my favorite one was meeting Mei Mei, Laufey’s rabbit. It felt like meeting a Disney character at Disneyland. After we arrived at our seats, we saw a big red curtain hanging, hiding the main set of Laufey.
The opener was Suki Waterhouse, who played about 10 songs from her discography. Her stage presence was amazing! Even though she was just one performer with four people in her band, they filled up the entire stage with their music. The bass was so loud, I could feel it in my heart. Her music is very indie, with a few rock elements. She ended her set with her most famous song, “Good Looking,” which was my favorite.
Then, the red curtain dropped and revealed the most magical castle set I have ever seen! Laufey’s set consisted of a swirled staircase on either side with sparkles decorating the stage. The stage reminded me of a clock that represented the eras of Laufey’s life. Suddenly, the arena was filled with the screaming of fans meeting their idol.
The lights lit up, and Laufey appeared on the main stage, opening with her song “Clockwork”. Her setlist consisted of five acts, all of which connected to a storyline. My favorite act was her “Jazz Club”. Laufey had expressed her love for jazz and her desire for the arena to feel like an intimate place. She did accomplish her goal, as it felt like she was performing just for me; it was extraordinary.
Besides her exceptional talent of connecting with fans, Laufey’s stage presence is funny. She interacted with the crowd numerous times, using her sarcastic personality, which Lauvers loved and made sure to give her the same energy back. By singing along and flashing their lights throughout her performances.
She concluded her set with her last song, “Sabotage,” which was emotional for me. The context behind the song is about fear ruining a relationship because of anxiety. After that, the lights went out, but I stayed, as I had done my research and learned that she plays one extra song. Laufey came out once again, surprising us with a special song for Utah. She had performed her very earliest songs in her career, “Street by Street”.
She finally performed her most anticipated song, “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self.” This was my favorite song of her entire set, as I related to it the most. The feeling in the arena is something I can never forget.
It was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat. That concluded her Salt Lake City “Matter of Time” concert. It was one of my most enjoyable concerts of the year. Laufey truly embodied what it means to be an artist in her craft and the passion it takes to reach the level of success she has today.
