Sinéad Harnett Plays Her First Sold Out Show in Houston
Fans filled The Bronze Peacock from wall to wall, waiting to see Sinéad Harnett play her first-ever show in Houston. While she has done one-off shows in Dallas and LA, her Boundaries Tour marks the Thai-Irish, R&B singer’s first full-length tour in the United States, and it was clear Houston fans had been eager to see her since her debut in 2013 as the show was completely sold out.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Few artists can make a show in an intimate venue feel like an arena show, but Sinéad’s performance was larger than the stage she stood on. From the minute she stepped out, she had the audience captivated with her beautiful vocals and her electric stage presence. Starting off with two back-to-back tracks from her latest album, Boundaries, Sinéad proved that she was not just a singer but a performer. “Shoulder” and “Thinking Less” were slow-tempo R&B tracks that gave her the opportunity to show off her sultry voice and seductive dance moves.
It was clear from their reactions that fans felt an instant connection with Sinéad that only strengthened every time she addressed them directly. The first time she spoke to the audience, she asked Houston fans why their food was so good, something she asked on her Instagram stories earlier in the day. Aside from gushing about all the different food she had tried in her short time in the city, she also talked to fans about the concept of her album, Boundaries. She spoke about how the album came from her past struggles with relationships and how her healing journey included setting boundaries for herself and others.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Taking a break from dancing around the stage, Sinéad played a series of acoustic songs, accompanied only by her guitarist. The acoustic set showed Sinéad in a more vulnerable light, with her introducing each song with the story that inspired it. She told fans that “Stay” was about a past relationship that she felt insecure in, and “Heal You” was about how she felt powerless to help a friend during a difficult time. The emotions she felt while writing the songs shined through in her delicate, but powerful vocals.
Multiple times throughout the show, Sinéad talked about writing songs about her sister. The songs showcase the complexities of familial relationships and the love that helps them overcome those difficulties. “Hard 4 Me 2 Love You” was one of the acoustic songs that she admitted to writing after a fight between them. The song, which depicts a strained relationship between the sisters that seemingly stems from a lack of understanding, works perfectly in contrast with “You First,” where Sinéad tries to see things from her sister’s point of view and reminds her that she will always be there for her.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Before her “last song,” Sinéad chose to pay tribute to the princess of R&B by covering “Are You That Somebody” by Aaliyah. If the audience members weren’t well versed in R&B, it would’ve been easy for them to mistake the song for one of Sinéad’s. The cover fit in perfectly with the rest of her set and she performed the song like she wrote it.
Sinéad could’ve pretended that she wasn’t going to do an encore, hyping up “Unconditional” as her final song, but she let them know immediately that she was only pretending to say goodbye. Instead, she let the song get fans hyped up all by itself, starting off playing the acoustic version and switching to the regular version halfway. Before the song started, she spoke about how the song was special to her because she wrote it about her found family, and she loved seeing fans use it in reference to their stepfamilies or adopted families.
Photo Cr: Andy Cantu
Fans weren’t left waiting for Sinéad to come back on stage for too long. After a short video interlude, her drummer yelled out, “One more song?” and Sinéad came back for two more songs, “Where You Been Hiding” and “If You Let Me.” Fans left the show satisfied knowing that their years-long wait was worth it in the end.