On September 23rd, Luna Li turned Bowery Ballroom into a magical forest filled with fairies, shimmering moss, and a comforting moonlight – all on a simple Monday night. With the release of her sophomore album When a Thought Grows Wings (2024), Luna Li embarked on her US and Canada tour in early September. Gracing New York City’s Bowery Ballroom stage, Luna Li played a set that is bound to transport you to another world. 

The multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter, Luna Li, brought her awe-inspiring talents to an ecstatic New York City audience. Starting off the night with her lead single “Confusion Song”, a wonderfully mellow tune with bedroom pop and R&B elements, made for a perfect introduction into what was about to be a fantastical night. Li continued to play songs off her newest record and her debut album, Duality (2022), including tracks like “Misery Moon” and “Cherry Pit”– some crowd favorites. Luna Li introduced the melodic interlude portion of the setlist with an instrumental medley from Jams EP (2021). With each instrument she picked up, the crowd cheered her on, grooving along to every piece. Accompanying her on stage were six of her personal instruments (Three guitars, one violin, one flute, and one harp), which she was able to easily incorporate into her set bringing us closer to the intricacies of the instruments included throughout all of her work. To hear these select instruments live was a real privilege and honor, as it transported us into the world that she created in this new album, allowing us to bear witness to her musicianship. “Lonely/Lovely” off of her first album, was another track that included a prominent instrumental section, or as Li described it “the symphony orchestra moment”, which yet again features her ethereal vocalizations. 

The rest of the night continued on with tracks from When a Thought Grows Wings, as she exhibited her immense talent and dream-like performance on songs like “I Imagine” and “That’s Life”. Luna Li expressed her gratitude to the musicians on stage with her, and thanked the Toronto music scene she grew up in for fostering her love of music and allowing her to continue doing what she loves. As the night was coming to a close, Luna Li’s final song, “Afterglow” felt like a beautiful end to this fairy tale evening. Though many were sad the show was ending, the audience lit up upon hearing the first notes to this beloved tune. During this bittersweet encore, she brought some fans up to the front to help her sing, thus concluding the immensely gratifying night. Luna Li left the stage, leaving us all inspired and comforted by her performance, hoping she’ll be back in New York City soon!