Live Nation Presents: The Isotope Tour September 30th in New York City, New York
Words and Photos by: Carly Palicz | @carlypalicz
On Monday, September 30th, Wasia Project performed at the iconic Irving Plaza in New York City as a part of their first ever North American headlining tour. Opening up the show was LA singer-songwriter Sabrina Sterling, who easily captured the audience's attention, performing a small selection of her songs including "Bittersweet" and "Love Me That Way." Following Sabrina's set, Wasia Project took the stage.
The band kicked off their set with "Is This What Love Is?," the first track off their recently released EP Isotope. They followed it with two older but beloved songs - "My Lover Is Sleeping" and "U Deserve." The rest of their set was an expertly crafted balance of slower, ethereal songs that took the audience's breath away, and upbeat, jazzy pop songs that got the whole crowd dancing. One standout moment was their performance of "Petals on the Moon," one of their more upbeat tracks, during which singer Olivia Hardy showed off her own captivating dance moves while their saxophone player also got a moment to shine. Perhaps the most memorable part of their set, though, was their hypnotizing performance of fan-favorite "ur so pretty," which left the crowd palpably silent for several seconds after it ended before the trance broke into applause. The evening continued with a mix of older favorites and new releases, as well as a fun cover of Sade's "Smooth Operator."
Wasia Project is an English alt-pop and jazz fusion sibling duo made up of Olivia Hardy on vocals alongside her brother Will Gao on keys, though they perform their live set with a full band. The brother-sister duo recently played a fully sold out tour in the UK before coming to the U.S. and Canada for their first ever North American headlining tour in celebration of the release of Isotope. Several of their songs can be heard throughout the soundtrack of Netflix's Heartstopper, of which Will Gao is a cast member, and they are best known for their 2022 single "ur so pretty." Wasia Project has also been an opener for beloved performers such as Tom Odell and Laufey on their recent tours, and has continued to build their audience at many festivals this past summer. Having built up an impressive discography and plenty of traction both in the UK and now across the pond, Wasia Project are definitely a growing act to keep an eye on, and offer a stunning live set that is not to be missed.
Check out the full gallery of Wasia Project below!
Comments