Allison Russell Performs ‘The Returner’ to a Sold-Out Crowd at The Sinclair [Photos]

Allison Russell wowed the audience with her powerful vocals and talented instrumental skills at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this past Thursday, December 7th. She brought along an all-female musical group she calls The Rainbow Coalition with her to perform for the sixth show of the first leg of her “The Returner Tour.” The tour is appropriately titled after her recently released sophomore album. The record has been nominated for the Grammy Award in the “Americana Album” category.

Performances by members of The Rainbow Coalition, Ganessa James, Elenna Canlas, and Yissy Garcia opened the show for Russell. She then came out strong, singing the first track from her sophomore album, entitled “Springtime.” The song got everyone on their feet, swaying along with her. The Sinclair is a smaller, more intimate venue in Boston. With a fully sold-out show, it was hard to move through the throngs of people entranced by Russell and her music.

Going into this show, I knew how talented Allison Russell was as a singer. However, I had no idea she was also an extremely skilled musician. At different times throughout the show, she played the clarinet, the guitar, and the banjo, all while singing and performing! To say I was impressed would be an understatement; this woman is clearly a powerhouse performer.

One thing that really struck me was Russell’s openness and vulnerability, both through the lyrics in her songs and when interacting with the crowd during the show. Before singing “Eve was Black,” which was just acclaimed by The New York Times as the #1 Best Song of 2023, she talked with the audience about her adopted father’s abuse growing up and how it was directly related to racism and hate. She explained how the song was in reference to that.

Russell also went back into the archives to pull out a few songs from her first album, Outside Child. The setlist included “Persephone,” “4th Day Prayer,” and “Poison Arrow.” Along with this she also performed a fan favourite song, “Superlover,” from her time in the group Birds of Chicago. This was certainly one of the more crowd-pleasing moments.

Leaving the show, I can definitely say I have a newfound respect and admiration for Russell. Her ability and strength to overcome her past trauma and weave her story into music gives her the chance to connect with people all over the world and make an impact. Russell is a seasoned vet in the music industry, and it shows in the way she performs. I would love to attend another one of her shows in the future and witness her continued growth and success.

Allison Russell @ The Sinclair (Cambridge, MA) on December 7, 2023

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