Holly Humberstone Kicks Off “Sleep Tight” Tour at Webster Hall
Holly Humberstone kicked off her "Sleep Tight" tour with a sold out night in NYC. The English singer recently released her debut album “Can You Afford To Lose Me?” this past month and is bringing the songs to life on tour.
Night one of tour was a sold out show at Webster Hall. Walking into the venue, I felt like I was entering a frat house with my shoes sticking to the floor. Clearly, it had not been cleaned up from the previous night’s Halloween party. Despite the stickiness, some people plopped themselves down on the floor. Personally, I would not risk picking up a new disease from the NYC floors, even to take a break from standing.
Awaiting the opening act, the stage was lit up in blue, setting off the flag with Humberstone’s name and logo on it. On center stage was a purple neon sign announcing the opener’s name: Allison Ponthier.
Walking on stage dressed in a country-esque outfit with white cowboy boots and a fringed top, the indie folk singer brought a bit of a country style to NYC. A Texan transplant to NYC, Allison Ponthier’s mixes indie guitars with a southern twang to create her unique sound.
Ponthier started her set with “Hell Is A Crowded Room” off her 2021 EP Faking My Own Death. “Autopilot”, from her latest EP Shaking Hands With Elvis was up next. Ponthier mixed songs from both eps throughout her set and talked about anxiety with her song “Harshest Critic” and about finding herself with “Cowboy”. Ponthier finished up with an unreleased song about being more than “just your character defender”.
A platform with a piano, synth, and guitar awaited Holly Humberstone when she took to the stage. The Brit looked almost astonished at the amount of people who showed up as she looked out at the crowd. Launching into “Vanilla”, Humberstone took the time to thank us for coming and say she was “gassed” to be there.
Being further away from the crowd on a platform, Humberstone still created a close relationship with the crowd. At one point, she came down to take a fan’s BeReal, but for the rest of the set she remained further back on stage.
Distance doesn’t matter with Humberstone’s warm tone making it feel like she’s singing directly to you. The Brit looked in awe that so many people were there to support her and she made sure to acknowledge everyone in the crowd.
Just getting back into touring, Humberstone admitted she was a bit rusty, but that didn’t come across to the crowd. The singer appeared at home on stage, chatting in between songs and giving backstory for some of them.
One song with a backstory was “Deep End”, where Holly spoke about not being able to help the people you love who are struggling. While Humberstone included a few of her sadder songs on the set list, she kept it mostly upbeat, mostly sticking to fan favorites.
Listeners connect with Humberstone’s songwriting. The intoxicating, descriptive lyrics keep you coming back for more. Featuring a more understated production in most of her songs, Humberstone creates and evokes emotion with her vocals. Listening to “Sleep Tight” in a crowded room that sang their heart out to every single lyric, Humberstone’s reach was palpable.
Ending with her three popular songs “Scarlett”, “Falling Asleep at the Wheel”, and “The Walls Are Way Too Thin”, Holly Humberstone brought down the house.
