Declan McKenna with Oracle Sisters
Mercury Ballroom
Louisville, KY
June 19th, 2023
English singer-songwriter Declan McKena brought his The Big Return North American tour to Louisville, with this being the final night on Leg 1 of the tour! With a packed house, the energy and spirits were high, with everyone ready for a fun night! Opening the show this evening was Paris-based indie pop band Oracle Sisters. Having arrived a bit late to the venue, they did soundcheck after doors opened with the crowd enjoying the process and cheering them on. Before leaving the stage, they asked the crowd if they had any song requests, receiving one or two! Once they came out onto the stage to start their set, the band was in good spirits and feeding off of the energy of the crowd. They quickly had everyone dancing and singing, with their fun and infectious energy, having fun with each other on stage and with the crowd. The band has released a slew of singles, 2 EP’s, and their debut full-length album Hydranism, released in April of this year, performing a nice selection of songs during their set. Mentioning that they were from different places, they currently live in Paris and were glad to be here with all of us on this last night of the tour! It was hard not to have a good time during their set, seeing how much fun they were having together on stage and performing for all in attendance. They definitely had the crowd ready for the evening ahead!
Closing out the evening was Declan McKenna. With a crowd packed full of fans, they all cheered loudly as he took the stage with his band. Starting things off with “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home”, “Beautiful Faces”, and “You Better Believe!!!”, everyone was dancing and singing along from the first note. “How are we doing tonight Louisville?”, he asked early on. “It’s good to be here! This is the final night of the headline tour. Let’s send it off in style, before we’re back in a couple of weeks!”, then asking who was ready to dance. Performing a long a varied 20-song set, which included “Listen To Your Friends”, “Why Do You Feel So Down”, “Daniel, You’re Still A Child”, and “Make Me Your Queen”, he also performed a new song early in the set. “I’ve been working on a bit of new music! Is it ok if we play some?”, to which the crowd cheered enthusiastically. “I’ll take that as a yes! This one is called “New Song 1″!”. Aside from playing guitar, McKenna also sat atop a platform near the back of the stage and played the keyboard for a few songs. Ending their set with “British Bombs”, he and his band then treated the fans to a 2-song encore, closing out the evening with a cover of George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and a cover of The Top Note’s “Twist and Shout”! From start to finish it was a fun-filled night of great music and a great crowd!
THE ORACLE SISTERS
DECLAN MCKENNA
