Despite everyone in Brisbane rolling in Adele fever, The Foundry was a buzzing hotspot on Saturday night. New Yorker Margaret Glaspy, was set to play her first ever show in Brisbane and fans were aplenty. 

Dim lights illuminated the few punters who were down early for local support Neighbour, an indie rocker similar to the likes of Paul Dempsey. Playing a solo show, his funky guitar riffs perfectly complemented his charming voice. Flicking his hair (which concealed most of his face during the performance), he played a selection of new tracks and previously released singles, (like Alexander Graham Bell which was an absolute banger), wooing the hearts of the small crowd in the front of the stage. 

Full tour support Slow Dancer was, well, a bit slow. Again, another indie rocker playing solo, but he gave off much more of a 'singer-songwriter' vibe than Neighbour. He had a certain charismatic appeal; the room had filled out and the girls were most definitely to the front. He reminded me of Matt Corby - chill if you're listening to one song in a playlist, but monotonously boring if you listen to the whole record on repeat, which I found disappointing, seeing as his recorded singles are really quite good. 

Main act of the night, Margaret Glaspy, saw The Foundry turn into a tin of sardines. The "proverb" 'you can't judge a book by it's cover' is the best way to describe Glaspy. Listen to her on the radio and you would expect to see a powerful woman with a lifetime of pain to extract such a raw and classic voice - instead you're met with a powerful woman who is barely over 5", has dimples when she smiles and wears the kind of headbands I liked in grade 4. Nevertheless, this in no way inhibited her ability to enthrall an almost sold out venue. 

Opening with Love Like This, her three piece band perfectly complemented her minimalist guitar riffs and intoxicating voice.  The drummer hit every beat with precision, and the bass player (who somehow reminded me of that weird uncle you disown at parties but is actually pretty cool), held down the fort with some funky grooves. Black Is Blue and an untitled song followed, and captured attention like cigarette smoke in a high school bathroom. 

Glaspy's band then left the stage to allow her to play a couple of solo tracks. Her heart wrenching rendition of Lauren Hill's Ex Factor packed a punch, further proving both her vocal and guitar chops. Her voice penetrated the heavy silence of the anxious crowd waiting on her every note.

Returning for Emotions and Math, her band brought back the energy to the room, with Glaspy singing more of her upbeat songs. Minimal chit chat between songs added to her aesthetic, which switched between awkward and unbelievably awesome. You and I closed out the night, ending on a high note, and saw Glaspy leave the stage without an encore (although she most definitely deserved one). 

International artists play a game of russian roulette when playing in smaller venues, and Glaspy definitely lucked out. This is a voice that needs to be heard. 

-Olivia Shoesmith