REVIEW | Tinashe
CONCERT
Tinashe ★★★★
Chevron Festival Gardens | Review by Sarah Dunstan
Having the bone structure and the vocal power of a Disney princess is just another notch in the low-slung belt of Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe. Her talent was enough to inspire at least one dance-off and one catfight after her show.
The 22-year-old Los Angeles actress, model and singer ticked off all the favourites from her debut album Aquarius. It was released last year to critical acclaim, strengthening her highly commendable brand of pop-infused R&B.
Emerging at the beginning of her set as a hooded, diminutive figure, Kachingwe proved that swaddling yourself in extremely oversized clothing can enhance your sex appeal.
Her strong vocals, boasting a certain musical-theatre quality, were clearly discernable from an overbearing vocal backing ripped straight from the album.
Add in some unbridled enthusiasm for Perth and seriously amazing moves, and you had an impressive and consistently energetic show.
Far Side of the Moon and Cold Sweat were excellent choices for the middle of the set, garnering the crowd’s pre-emptively wild interest for All Hands On Deck and 2 On.
Thankfully, rumours that her backing dancers had been dumped ahead of her Perth show were wrong. Two pairs of dancers provided support to Kachingwe and eurhythmic guidance to the crowd.
Special mention should also be made of the slightly terrifying opening, which appeared to feature only an eardrum- splitting ghost drummer. The profuse purple vapour melted away quickly to reveal Kachingwe’s drummer DJ, who she has described as “the dopest” and who indeed was dope.
Asking for the crowd’s vocal assistance during her closing numbers, Kachingwe displayed both the self-importance of the Instagram generation and a plainly positive attitude to life.
Closing by assuring the audience that they, too, could follow their dreams and “make it happen” just as she had, it was hard not to love the artist or at least feel as if her show was worth breaking a sweat for.
