The dude at the front desk of the Hampton Inn in Golden, Colorado, was a pleasant enough fellow, even if his popular musical knowledge was lacking. “So what brings you here?” he routinely asked, perhaps thinking Coors Brewery or Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in the middle of an early fall afternoon were the likely options for a middle-aged couple looking for a place to collapse after a brew or two.
“We’re going to Red Rocks,” was the reply, just wishing the quick delivery of room key cards wouldn’t further prolong the proceedings.
“Oh, yeah! Who’s playing?” was his Captain Obvious follow-up, when just a few feet to his left was a sign listing all the October acts heading to the majestic outdoors amphitheater in Morrison, just a couple of miles from his workplace.
The name “Laufey” brought a deer-in-the-headlights look, even after he was told the alternative artist was an Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter-producer who plays multiple instruments and has recently been performing in front of packed houses across North America.
Either clueless or unimpressed or both, he added, “The only singer I know from Iceland is Björk.”
Man, he never knew what he missed. For anyone else out of the loop: The pop queen, a fantastic young entertainer who seamlessly shifts genres from jazz to classical to her own show tunes that would rightly belong in a Tony Award-winning musical, wooed the masses numbering 9,000-plus on 8 October.
Touring Canadian and US cities the rest of the year before heading across the pond in 2026 behind her latest full-length album, A Matter of Time, released on 22 August, Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay) reigned over an adoring audience. While the male species was represented, the majority were young girls in frilly white dresses and stylish women in fringe, beads, and bows who sang along to each song while standing on their dancing feet for most of the show that lasted nearly two hours.
Following English singer-songwriter-actress Suki Waterhouse’s superb, wind-aided 40-minute set, some pre-show recordings ranging from Frank Sinatra (“Witchcraft”) to Chet Baker (“Look for the Silver Lining”) set the mood. Laufey recognizes the greats, no matter their age, race, or gender.
Performing with a crackerjack four-piece band on her left and a stunning string quartet on her right, Laufey also brought along her robust alto, several instruments and four athletically inclined dancers, who added ballet and stretchy steps while keeping the leading lady on her toes. There was no doubt. A star was born on this starry, starry night.
Classic Entrance
For starters, old-fashioned black-and-white opening credits straight out of a silent movie appeared on the giant video screens on each side of the stage along with an “Act I” designation, assuring the Red Rockers this extravaganza wasn’t going to be a typical concert.
Almost like “Clockwork”, her flashy first number of the album and set, the 2024 Grammy winner appeared shortly after the listed starting time of 8.10pm. She wasted no time in heaping praise on the scenic setting, saying enthusiastically, “I’m so, so excited to be here. This is probably the most beautiful venue I’ve ever played. It’s such a dream concert for me.”
The equally upbeat “Lover Girl” followed, with rhythmic handclaps setting the pace along with squeals of delight from the crowd. Yet the essence of her existence even revealed itself in one line on this celebratory evening: “Oh, what a curse it is to be a lover girl.”
Even if there was a hint of sarcasm, nobody dared to argue the point of a hitmaker whose most recent record debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in early September. Humble, playful, warm, witty, charming and, yes, lovable, Laufey is living the dream, cursed or blessed.
She also continued to reinforce a message of empowerment while touching on her own insecurities. “Dreamer”, from 2023’s Bewitched, utilized a cool piano intro and some pretty backing track harmonies while delivering the spirited lyrical statement: “No boy’s gonna kill the dreamer in me.”
To some bossa nova beats, doubts of realizing those dreams linger in “Falling Behind”, from 2022’s Everything I Know About Love, ending with, “Everybody’s falling in love but me.”
The ballad “Silver Lining”, enhanced with a swooning croon and her red Gibson ES-335 electric guitar, brought out the lights from a throng of cellphone holders who also sang along to these harsh words: “When you go to hell, I’ll go there with you too.”
From devilish to angelic beliefs in a matter of seconds, Laufey gushed after the song, reiterating, “Thank you for lighting up the world up for me. It’s a very crazy feeling to feel like all my dreams are coming true. … I know you guys are busy and your time is valuable and the fact that you spent your time and money to come here, I don’t take it for granted, not for one second.”
Though many of her own songs (including 13 of the 15 from the latest LP that offers a cover of “Seems Like Old Times” as a bonus cut) are filled with romantic notions that either hit or miss, she doesn’t hesitate to put members of the opposite sex in their place.
“Bored”, from 2024’s Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, is a clearcut example of that impulse, with just the title eliciting loud cheers, laughs and screams by her supporters. In introducing the song, Laufey admitted it’s “kinda mean,” yet honestly conveyed that “it’s about that feeling when you’re with someone and you just kind of develop, how you say, ‘Ick!’ And why? Just like all of a sudden, everything about this person is starting to annoy you.”
It’s another ballad with her lovely voice providing a hostile thought, reminiscent of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”:
Maybe you’re just way too vain to be interesting /
Baby keep talking but nobody’s listening
Lyrics from Laufey’s “Bored”
‘Welcome to My Jazz Club’
Laufey cooled down for “Act II” as the set transformed into a jazz setting that included the appropriate music, starting with “Seems Like Old Times”, initially recorded by Guy Lombardo’s orchestra in 1945. The gorgeous tune, covered by the likes of Kate Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, and Rosemary Clooney, first did a number on me when I heard Diane Keaton bashfully sing it as the title character in Annie Hall.
Keaton’s death three days after this show will make the song linger even more in my mind, along with its performance by Laufey, who takes those soothing, nostalgic notes to another level with a jolt of jazzed-up swing.
After her stunning rendition, Laufey explained, “I really want to find a way to make kind of like a unique, intimate moment in the middle of the set, where these guys really get to shine and I kind of get to dance a little, you know.”
Annie Hall couldn’t have said it better. The musicians for this accomplished mission were: Heather Rivas, keys; Dario Bizio, bass; and Maverick MacMillan, drums. (Guitarist Ryland Holland wasn’t part of the jazz ensemble.)
Along with her own originals like “Valentine”, “Fragile”, and “While You Were Sleeping”, “Act II” included a cover of “It Could Happen to You” from the Great American Songbook.
A piano-driven standard recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943 with music written by Jimmy Van Heusen, Laufey added a lemon-fresh zest while performing it on this A Matter of Time tour for the first time at Red Rocks, scatting included. This chanteuse brings to mind the glory days of yesteryear, with sultry torch singers like Billie Holiday and Julie London. Laufey on the Rocks? Yes, please!
Fashion Forward
Known for her Oddli-created felt crowns that were spotted throughout the crowd, Laufey took about a five-minute intermission while nearing the show’s halfway point to announce her “best-dressed guest” on a night when passion was displayed by a fashion-conscious audience.
A girl named Lucy, whose hand-sewn hoop skirt woven to include the clock theme that’s a central part of the third full-length studio album and stage design, appeared starstruck when walking up to meet Laufey. The excited winner received a special crown adorned with painted red rocks from “Mei Mei”. The artist’s popular life-sized bunny mascot will be the subject of the first-time author’s debut picture book that will be published next April.
Made for little kids (and fans of all ages), Laufey has developed a special connection with youngsters through her music and outside projects, recently launching the Laufey Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to benefit aspiring musicians.
Her affection for fellow artists is also apparent as this tour includes dates with various orchestras, along with a special opening act at Red Rocks and other cities. Laufey gave a shout-out to Waterhouse, cheerfully saying, “I feel so lucky when I get to have someone so cool and talented open for me. Really, I feel like I get a free concert every night. It’s honestly how I choose who will support me on tour. I am like, ‘Who do I want to hear every single night?’”
Multicultural (also half-Chinese; her mother is from Guangzhou) and multi-instrumental, Laufey mentioned she grew up fascinated with the cello as an orchestra member and “I always dreamt of getting cheers for playing” the instrument. “It’s been the greatest joy of my life to get to continue on this journey of recording songs with orchestras and playing with orchestras,” she said, turning to a grand piano to perform “Let You Break My Heart Again”. The weeper (“one of the very first songs I ever put out,” she offered) appears on the soundtrack album/concert film A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl. It includes the wistful-thinking line “Someday, someone will like me like I like you”.
Don’t be misled, though. Laufey isn’t a woebegone, down-on-her-luck outcast. Combating anger/disappointment with a deft sense of humor, this is a performer who can add comedic touches to tragic episodes. During a mid-set video, she even poked fun at herself for making a few outfit changes. (“It’s my show,” she acts with a sneer. “I can wear what I want.”)
Beauty and the Beat
The ever-changing stage displayed a spinning carousel in the background as the enchanting song of the same name opened “Act III” with Laufey accompanied by her acoustic guitar. “Forget-Me-Not” featured the beautiful sounds of string quartet players Michelle Shin, Lucinda Chiu, Chrysanthe Tan, and Juan-Salvador Carrasco. Dancers Olivia Zeimi, Julia Alaimo, Bostyn Brown and Dabria Aguilar returned for “Cuckoo Ballet”, a tick-tock clock starting an orchestral-like instrumental interlude on which Laufey played the cello.
Then the knives came out again like deep cuts from a sharp sword. In the sprightly “Mr. Eclectic”, leading off “Act IV,” she sings: “Talking ’bout some dead composer / You’re just a stoner patronizing me.”
In “Clean Air”, Laufey drops an F-bomb while sweetly telling off her target, “My soul has suffered, get the fuck out of my atmosphere.”
On the swirling “Tough Luck,” one of the finest cuts off A Matter of Time (that she coproduced with customary collaborator Spencer Stewart and new addition Aaron Dessner of the National), an ultimate loser hears:
Tough luck, my boy, your time is up / I’ll break it first, I’ve had enough /
Of waiting ’til you lie and cheat / Just like you did to the actress before me
Lyrics from Laufey’s “Tough Luck”
Overcoming obstacles while admitting her insecurities are “still kind of there,” Laufey addressed the latter ahead of “Snow White”. Calling it “probably the most vulnerable song on my new album,” the words ring true: “The world is a sick place, at least for a girl.” This one was born in Reykjavik, while raised there and in Washington, DC, before graduating from the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Laufey remembers herself growing up in Iceland (with Junia, her identical twin sister) as “an orchestra nerd” with different hobbies, “and it was glaringly obvious to me that I was different, and I didn’t feel … like it was a good thing. I see it now as a good thing. …
“I really empower all of you to always share your feelings and even though it’s really scary, they can be a very powerful tool.” There’s obviously stainless-steel strength in the woman whose full name is Laufey Lin Bing Jonsdottir.
“Act V” started and ended with the magnificent fury of “Sabotage”. Reaching her peak by ascending the stage’s high staircase, this for-real idealist who can follow up that explosive set closer with the tender encore “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self” doesn’t mess around. It’s only A Matter of Time for infatuation to strike anyone willing to join Laufey’s winning troupe of loyal lovelies.
That includes the Golden guy who’s too busy checking in guests before checking out this team dream weaver.
