Words and Photos by Katherine Cardinale
Nell Mescal’s charming personality and relatable lyricism has already drawn in thousands of fans across the globe, and she is only just getting started. The up-and-coming indie singer-songwriter headlined two back-to-back shows at Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right this past weekend, and it is clear that she has already solidified herself as one of music’s best rising artists.
Fans wearing bows, colorful patterned pants, and comfy-looking cardigans milled around the venue and chatted about their excitement for the evening show. As the line began to form outside Baby’s, one could see many attendees from the afternoon show get right back in line at 6pm for the later one, which demonstrated Nell’s ability to captivate a devoted audience and the love that fans have for her.
Once let inside, the dimly lit venue quickly filled up and indie artist Fairhazel walked onstage soon afterwards to play an opening set for the night. He was joined by his friend, Your Song Juniper, whom he introduces as a friend. He ended the set with beautiful performances of his songs “It Takes Time” and “Molly Ringwald.”
Nell Mescal was on next, and fans cheered as she opened her set with “Warm Body.” This was followed by “Electric Picnic,” which was featured on her 2024 EP, Can I Miss It For A Minute? As a newer artist, Nell has a small discography, so she played a number of unreleased songs, including “Sure Thing,” “Lose You All Together,” “See You Again,” and a track called “Thin,” which she has been teasing on TikTok. Prior to playing this song, Nell spoke about her vulnerable experience when writing it, as well as her nervousness regarding sharing it online. The venue reached energetic highs during “In My Head,” and “Homesick,” which are a couple of her more upbeat and danceable tracks. After leaving the stage, Nell and her band returned for a fun performance of “Killing Time,” which is a personal favorite of mine, before saying goodbye to the audience for the last time.
Nell’s stop at Baby’s marked her first-ever shows in the United States, and it is no doubt that her talent will bring her back for more shows here soon. Her set was short but sweet, and absolutely left a lasting impression on both longtime fans and new ones alike.
Loudspeaker Collective 