Niki Brings the “Buzz World Tour” to a Beautiful Stop in Houston

Review by Christian Hernandez

One of my favorite things about Houston is that no matter what day of the week an artist decides to stop by and have a show, Houston will always show up and show out. Luckily for Niki, Houston has yet to disappoint. 

As I made my way inside 713 Music Hall on a warm Thursday evening, I first noticed how unified everyone was in their outfits. Before the tour began, Niki had posted a dress code for each stop of the tour, wanting her fans to have a theme for the night. Houston was given the ‘Leather and Lace’ theme and just about everyone I saw there was dressed to impress. There’s something special when a community of fans comes together and understands the assignment. 

Sitting down in my seat for the night, I could hear the excited chatter of the audience. Everywhere I looked, there were small and large friend groups who attended together, there were even people who ran into someone they hadn’t seen in forever and reconnected. Where I was seated, there was a group of friends sitting at one of the balcony tables who noticed their friend in the crowd and excitedly called over to them. When she couldn’t get her attention she called her and when she answered, I kid you not, the two stayed on the phone with each other up until the show started. I found it very sweet and funny and felt it set the night’s stage. 

The show began with Niki and her band going to the stage. The band was elevated from the ground, each having their spot to shine. The background was covered with these large panels, creating an almost contemporary art exhibit on stage. Niki took center stage as she immediately started into “Too Much of A Good Thing”, which was met with thunderous cheers, myself included. This was immediately followed by “Colossal Loss” and then “Backburner”. After this, she stopped to welcome everyone to the tour and thanked them for coming out. She let everyone know that for the next hour or so, nothing else mattered and to have a “good fucking time”. And what a time was had. 

One of the biggest things I notice whenever attending a concert is the artist’s use of stage and lighting. Performing a song is one thing, but being able to provide a beautiful visual alongside it, really elevates the performance. Niki had one of the most impressive light designs on stage that I had seen. My favorite of the night was during her performance of ‘Blue Moon’, an already beautiful song, which was accompanied by soft blue lighting behind the panels of the stage, while Niki was lit from behind with a strong blue spotlight, which left rays of blue shining through the pitch black venue. It was easily the moment of the night for me, and very likely the moment for many in attendance. 

The whole performance was quite melancholic, as Niki’s soft but powerful vocals echoed throughout the venue. Looking into the crowd, you could see almost every other person holding onto someone the whole night. The night was a tender reminder of the gentleness we all can experience through life. As it came to an end with ‘Buzz’, you could feel everyone holding on to every word, not wanting the night to end. Overall, the show felt like a warm hug, surely to leave everyone with beautiful and fond new memories to take home for the night.