This past Sunday, May 19, R&B artist Grace Sorensen graced her hometown of Austin, TX for a concert dedicated to her late father, Roger Sorensen, and it was beautiful. The show was held at The Parish and featured phenomenal openers Euphonia and Smooth Nature. Two powerhouse acts, whose showmanship and delicate instrumentation left me slack-jawed. Euphonia got everyone in a jazz headspace with their beautiful melodies, and surprising guitar, while Smooth Nature came out swinging with delicious vocals, intense R&B vibes, and a wild saxophone solo. It was the perfect tone setter for Sorensen’s unique stylings.
When she arrived on stage the crowd, filled with fans and family alike, went wild. It was a special type of show, and I’m honored to have been in attendance. After jumping in and crooning out track after beautiful track, Sorensen spoke about the importance of this next song, her latest single “Superstars”, “Tomorrow will be a day until my dad passed away…And I remember just being so annoyed when he would ask me to play this, we were getting the mixes back and he’d be like Play Superstars! Play Superstars! And I was like Dad, chill! But I now just want you guys to move forward in your lives not being annoyed when especially your parents are asking you for things, and showing their love, and showing their care for you…I just wanted to let you guys know that this song especially is very special to me.”
Following “Superstars” Sorensen played a string of unreleased tracks, all from her upcoming new album. The songs were gorgeous, Jazz-infused R&B with catchy choruses, intricate arrangements, and swoon-worthy melodies. My personal favorite was an unreleased track called “Oranges In December” with a haunting hook, and hypnotizing soundscapes, it was nothing short of amazing. Afterward, Sorensen played an unreleased track titled “No Fear”, and explained how important this song had become in light of recent events, “I got to this [writing] session…and it just kind of spilled out me. And it just was very clear that it was me kind of being just a vessel for something higher. It’s just a very wholesome song about not having fear, and full trust in things that you can’t see.”
Towards the end of the show Sorensen did a tribute to her father by singing one of his personal favorite songs, Sade’s “Smooth Operator”. The entire crowd sang along, chanting that mesmerizing post-chorus “Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male / Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale”. During another emphatic chorus, Sorensen instructed the crowd to Chant 1 2 3 – Roger! It was a truly uniting experience and the perfect ending to an incredible show.
Grace’s shows have always been amazing, but this one was so deeply special. Her showmanship, professionalism, and the vulnerability she shared with the audience left me feeling so inspired. It was a great night with even greater music. Follow Grace Sorensen on all social media to be the first to know when her album drops!
