Oh, Lorde.
The heavily hyped vocalist, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, definitely lived up to the buzz during her sold-out show Friday at The Fillmore.
She's just 16, yet her age is basically all she shares with most other teen stars. During her San Francisco gig, which might have been the season's toughest ticket, Lorde evoked memories of some of the greatest stars of the past 20 years -- including Bjork, Fiona Apple and Tori Amos.
OK, the New Zealand native has a long way to go before she's in the same league as those other singer-songwriters (especially Bjork), yet she's certainly off to a fantastic start.
No wonder so many are treating Lorde's arrival on the scene with the same gusto
Her Fillmore concert came on the same day that her full-length studio debut, "Pure Heroine," hit stores, although most of those in attendance Friday already knew much of the set list from Lorde's previously released EP ("The Love Club"), as well as from her singles and videos.
Lorde opened the show with "Bravado," appearing between a drummer and keyboardist on a dimly lit stage. At times, she was nothing more than a silhouette, inching through her atmospheric cuts with grace and style. The whole production was very Portishead in nature, and it only strengthened the aura of mystery that already engulfs her young career.
It was hard to get a good look at her onstage, but I was fortunate enough to get a close-up view as she walked through The Fillmore balcony before the start of the show. Her most striking feature is her hair -- a mane of thick, curly locks. She actually resembles Princess Merida, the heroine in the animated film "Brave."
Only some of Lorde's fan base will get that comparison. She draws supporters from many age groups, ranging from young fans who might have watched "Brave" just last week to people who could be their parents. And they all sang along with glee to the music.
It's Lorde's ability to appeal to such a wide range of ages that really makes one think she could have a big impact in music. Plus, it's really easy to imagine her holding onto -- and expanding upon -- her initial fan base as she matures as an artist.
The 1,100-strong audience showed the most love on Friday for the platinum-certified single "Royals," the song that really served as Lorde's introduction to the public. Yet, many fans seemed nearly as excited to hear "Biting Down," "Tennis Court" (her latest single), "400 Lux" and the other numbers that filled out the
Lorde's relative lack of experience only really showed in two areas. The first was the sound mix, which was way too heavy on the bass -- and I was told that was Lorde's call, not the venue's. The second was her between-song banter, which, for the most part, was indiscernible mumbling.
Those wrinkles will most likely get ironed out over time. And time, most definitely, is on her side.
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