Haley Heynderickx mesmerizes sold-out crowd with intimate concert

Throughout her set, Heynderickx and her band mates fed off the energy in the room, chatting with each other and the audience about growing blackberries, open communication and the warm aura of the night.

Haley+Heynderickx+smiles+at+bandmate+Matthew+Holmes+during+a+sold-out+show+at+The+Armory+in+Fort+Collins+April+27.

Haley Heynderickx smiles at bandmate Matthew Holmes during a sold-out show at The Armory in Fort Collins April 27.

Dylan Tusinski, Staff Reporter

Most sold-out concerts don’t have the feel of an intimate studio session. But Haley Heynderickx’s April 27 show at The Armory was not like most sold-out concerts.

Instead, the whole night had a diaphanous feel to it. As Heynderickx and her bandmates upright bassist Matthew Holmes and drummer Daniel Rossi took to the stage, a hush fell over the crowd. The 200-odd concertgoers were captivated as Heynderickx opened the show with of one of her most popular songs, “The Bug Collector,” before seamlessly transitioning into a powerful, heartfelt rendition of “No Face.”

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Heynderickx’s presence on stage was as calm, witty, introspective and contemplative as her music, which quickly enamored the capacity crowd at The Armory. Throughout her set, Heynderickx and her bandmates fed off the energy in the room, chatting with each other and the audience about growing blackberries, open communication and the warm aura of the night.

“I really don’t say this every night, but this is the coziest room we’ve played in all tour,” Heynderickx said. “This is so beautiful.”

Heynderickx has carved a name for herself as a rising star in indie folk with her soft guitar style and opera-like vocals meshing together to create a raw emotional vulnerability that very few artists can replicate. Heynderickx’s music revolves around themes of nature, growth, uncertainty and upheaval, all of which were on display at The Armory on Thursday night.

Throughout the show, Heynderickx weaved her way through crowd-pleasing old tunes off her 2018 album “I Need to Start a Garden” and new songs from an unreleased, upcoming record. She said her next album will be released next year.

“I am a very impatient person, and my label says we can’t release (the album) until next year, so we’re just kind of touring and sharing the songs anyway,” Heynderickx told the crowd.

Haley Heynderickx, center, plays a sold-out show at The Armory in Fort Collins alongside upright bassist Matthew Holmes and drummer Daniel Rossi April 27.

Heynderickx asked the audience permission to perform each of her new songs, which she called “newies.” The audience met each request with roars of applause.

“Permission to play our new ‘Mother-Nature rage-emo song?'” Heynderickx asked the audience, who responded with bursts of cheers.

“This song is told from the perspective of a cabbage,” Heynderickx said. “The cabbage is very afraid to be eaten. The cabbage is also disappointed with how humans have treated our food sources over the years, and so that is why it’s our cabbage rage song.”

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As the night began to wind down, Heynderickx politely informed the crowd that she and her band had only two more songs left to play. The audience reacted with playful shouts of “More!” and “Encore!” which Heynderickx politely brushed aside with a chuckle and a smile.

“We’re not fun people; we don’t know how to encore,” Heynderickx said. “But we’ve had a really lovely time. Again, this is one of the prettiest venues we’ve ever played in.”

Heynderickx’s show at The Armory was the eighth stop on her 2023 Spring Tour. She had three more shows scheduled in Colorado, including shows in Denver April 29 and Boulder April 30.

Reach Dylan Tusinski at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @dylantusinski.