Holly Humberstone Bathes Varsity Theater in Blue Dreams

Dinkytown was bustling on Friday night as college kids prepared to party the weekend away. I made my way into their territory to get to Varsity Theater for a show I’ve really been looking forward to. I had been wanting to experience a Holly Humberstone show for the better part of a year after some pretty significant buzz on my most trusted pop blogs and some stunning new singles. Walking into the venue felt like going through a wormhole into a cozy and less-chaotic space. The packed room was ready to bask in the ethereal vibes of the performers and dance the night away.

Diva Smith was the one to warm up the stage for Humberstone. Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with her before seeing her. Honestly, though, it was a great introduction. The NYC by way of LA artist was all smiles as she approached the microphone alone with her guitar for a 40ish-minute set. It was clear she’s not a casual musician despite telling the audience that she is also a teacher who got to cut the year short to go on tour (major teacher cool points!!). It was especially charming to hear how excited she was to spend her day off at Mall of America.

She knew how to win the crowd over with contemplative pop ballads that cut right to the heart. Smith seemed to have a wisdom beyond her years through her lyrics. To me, it transported me to the restlessness of navigating my 20’s. Just feeling like you should be somewhere other than where you are and finding balance between drive and appreciation for what you’ve accomplished. It was relatable and stunning. It takes major talent to draw all of that out during an opening set. I’ll be watching out for her to come back to the Twin Cities!

Holly Humberstone didn’t keep us waiting. The English performer was on stage with her band promptly at 9pm. I don’t think the audience could have handled any extra wait time. This was a passionate bunch. It had been 3 years since her last appearance in our fair city, and she’s accomplished a lot since then. She’s gained quite a fanbase who were chomping at the bit to catch her live. The same is true nationally as she has taken some pretty major festivals this summer with incredible reception - Bonnaroo, Governers Ball, and Coachella to name a few.

This set was excatly what I was hoping for. Humberstone mixed in her biggest songs all through the set. Heck, “To Love Somebody” was the second song out of the gate. Talk about hyping up a room! I felt like she was just singing to me at times. There is such a deep intimacy in her quietly powerful voice and her lyrics paint pictures that you can’t help but feel as you listen.

You said in a past life we were spiders
Or something neo-Goth and grandiose
You asked if you could hold my hand forever and ever
You asked me if I still believe in ghosts, well

There's something about you
So strange and beautiful
The language that you talk
There's something about you

The venue was such a great size for these songs. I could see her performing on a 2027 Grammys stage next year and we’ll have bragging rights. Songs like “Cruel World”, “Paint My Bedroom Black”, “Down Swinging”, and “Die Happy” were standouts to me. Her performance of “Make Me Pretty” gave me goosebumps watching from the back of the packed room. It felt like watching a classic 1940’s ballad in a movie.

“Deep End” was a stunning moment. She reminded the crowd when this - her first single - was released. 2020 when the world shut down. I reflected on the resilience of a young artist going through the sure disappointment of trying to launch such a deserved career at that time. We were all glad she made it. She was, too, I think. “I’m having the best time of my life up here!” she mused between songs. We had the time of our lives, too. Thank you, Holly!