Aurora shines bright at the Royale

by Kailey Williams
2019-03-27

Aurora
featuring Talos and Sean McVerry

March 5th, 2019 at the Royale

Aurora brought a message of hope and light to the audience of fans at the Royale on March 5th. Her music infused those gathered with a spirit of wonder and joy which her performance and personality exude. Her lyrics are infused with messages of hope, strength, and solidarity, which become all the more potent set to the band’s dreamy electronic pop stylings.

Sean McVerry had at the last minute been brought on as a keyboard player to Aurora’s North American tour and took the stage twice over the course of the night. Before joining the headliner’s set, he first performed a solo set to open the show. He captured the audience with his charismatic personality and pleasant music as he sang and alternated between playing the guitar and playing the keyboard.

Talos, the electronic band based out of Cork, Ireland, was next to perform. Their synths, which fluctuate between delicate and atmospheric sounds to more structured melodies, helped create their dynamic sound, as did the prominent beats produced by the two drummers flanking the stage. Their spacious and at times haunting music felt quite fitting with Aurora’s, and they have definitely garnered some new fans on their tour with her.

Photo by Kailey Williams for WRBB.

The visual landscape of the stage hinted at the exciting performance that was to come. Blue, pink, and green lighting flickered across three large jellyfish sculptures suspended in the air and illuminated the illustrated forest backdrop. These whimsical visuals complemented the ethereal nature of Aurora’s voice and her movement on stage.

Aurora strikes a range of emotions in her music, which makes it all the more compelling. “Warriors” and “Running with the Wolves” capture a feeling of empowerment and strength, while “I Went Too Far” and “Murder Song” speak of hardships and toxic relationships. Leading up to playing some of these sadder songs, Aurora spoke about the challenges of dark times, and how easy it is to lose one’s way. She promised that after the audience cried together to these songs, she’d play happier songs and it would be a party. Aurora delivered on this promise, closing out the set with “Queendom,” an anthem of acceptance and a celebration of differences as well as the strength that lies in sensitivity. Midway through the song, she pulled out a rainbow flag and began waving it around as she danced, acknowledging and showing support for the significant portion of her fans who identify as LGBTQIA+. As the show ended on such a strong note, the audience was left with a feeling of warmth and of community as they filtered out into the cold Boston air.