LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: BØRNS // Atlanta, Ga

Photos By: Angel Escobar & John Morrow

Tuesday, February 6th, was the day I waited in line 8 hours to see the ever-magical, BØRNS, perform at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia. Once the doors to the venue opened up, the crowd (which easily wrapped around the block) quickly poured into the pit and balcony.

After nearly an hour of waiting for the openers to begin, Mikky Ekko was first to take the stage. Mikky Ekko livened the crowd with his impressive voice (and beard) and performed songs such as his newest single “I’m not the one”, and his most famous collaboration recorded with Rihanna, “Stay”. Next up was Charlotte Cardin, from Montreal, Canada. I had never heard her music but she certainly has gained another fan, as well as many others I’m sure! She also performed the hit from her newest EP, “Main Girl”, and thanked the crowd with a group selfie.

Photos taken by Angel Escobar

After a near 40 minutes of anxious buzz and random fits of cheers from the crowd, Garrett Borns (BØRNS) made an effortlessly graceful entrance onto center stage, immediately beginning with “God Save Our Young Blood” the first song off of his freshly debuted album, Blue Madonna. With the sound of his voice carrying through the speakers, the crowd sizzled with roars of admiration. BØRNS followed with the order of songs as it so appears on the album, going right into “Faded Heart”, the most upbeat and perhaps the most popular song off of Blue Madonna. BØRNS continued on with the order of the album performing the song “Sweet Dreams”, which is just as dreamy as it sounds. Being that all of his songs are love songs, orange, red, blue, and magenta lights glowed from all directions and warmed the room with a romantic touch.

The songs “We Don’t Care” and “Man”, also upbeat songs, were executed zestfully as the crowd reverberated the lyrics with great passion. Even though many of the other songs off of Blue Madonna had a softer feel to them, Garrett’s ethereal voice and impressive drummer and guitarists made the perfect combination to keep the energy of the show.

As said earlier, BØRNS was preforming at the Tabernacle, which is a mid-sized concert venue of a 2,100 capacity. Given this, the general admission pit was jam packed with devout fans, as well as the upper level balconies. With this smaller venue, BØRNS was able to give the show an intimate feeling, gently holding hands with fans and gathering roses from them as well.

One of my personal favorite’s off of the album, and from the show, is the song “I Don’t Want You Back”, which he dedicated to “all the lovers out there”. This song, although still about love, is clearly about a bittersweet breakup, something many of us foolish youth go through. This song is heavenly combination of synth, electric guitar, and of course, Garrett’s divine vocals. After this song, came “Tension” an interlude feature on the album. But BØRNS put a live performance spin on this one, mixing Madonna’s song “Holiday” seamlessly into the song.

BØRNS closed out the show with the perfectly fitting farewell, “Bye-Bye Darling” and waved goodbye to the crowd… but we all know that’s not really where the show ends. After a short break, and the crowd endlessly cheering at full volume, BØRNS made a return to the stage for the encore. Having performed the entirety of Blue Madonna, it was time for songs off of his freshman album, Dopamine (an exquisite album I may add) as well as an acoustic version of the first single he ever released, “Seeing Stars”. Last was the hit song “Electric Love”, which did prove to be absolutely electrifying. Garrett brought out his pink electric guitar, gushed his heart onto the stage and gave every bit of spirit he had left in them. The entire crowd was dancing (the best that they could) and shouting the words.

Overall, the night was magical. The blend of intimacy and passion that Garrett puts into his lyrics created a sensational feeling in the venue. The band was lively and provided bounds of spark to the show. In essence, it was a night of raw feelings and soul dripping from his stage. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his shows, I will forever suggest you go see it.