​​Bubbles, Minions and Melancholy: Faye Webster Enchants the Salt Shed

Faye Webster served up a night of bubbles, blue hues and moody vocals at The Salt Shed March 11, the first of her two sold-out Chicago shows. 

Websters’ A Concerto In Clean tour followed the release of her most recent album, “Underdressed at the Symphony.”

The stage was adorned with rows of decorative washing machines and racks of clothing, mimicking a laundromat. In the center of the stage stood a colossal white T-shirt on a hanger, serving as the backdrop for Webster’s set.

Attendees remained relaxed through an upbeat and dreamy J-pop set from opener mei ehara. The crowd swayed to the band’s gentle guitar riffs and feel-good drumming, as the stage swam in pink and purple hues.

Cheered on by the crowd, ehara’s hit song “蓋のない彼” featured a funky bass line, mixing groovy instrumentals with tender vocals. 

ehara’s bassist Coff Drop was greeted with excitement as he danced energetically, twisting his body and kicking his legs, until the opening number faded away. 

The Salt Shed fell dark again, with the first strums of “But Not Kiss” suddenly taking over the stage. A cartoon version of Webster as a minion from the “Despicable Me” franchise projected onto the t-shirt backdrop. The minion-Faye sang to the tune of “But Not Kiss” in Minionese. 

The staple chorus of, “But Not Kiss” was sung as “banana” by the minion, drowned out by the crowd’s belting, before the stage returned to darkness, announcing Faye’s entrance. 

Sporting a brown petticoat over a white frilly blouse and black slacks, Webster was illuminated from behind, hazily basked in fog. 

The stage fell dark, with only a spotlight remaining, as Webster opened up her set with a non-minion rendition of “But Not Kiss.” 

Bright white lights flashed during the sudden percussion, contrasting Webster’s calm, gentle singing. 

After her opening performance, the ethereal drums of “Wanna Quit All of the Time” cut through the silence. The washing machines along the stage glowed red as Webster was illuminated in cerulean blue. 

All of the lights shut off momentarily after the song’s bridge leading Webster to break out in a swelling guitar solo, before being joined again by the rest of her band. 

After a performance of “Thinking About You,” the key guitar riff of Webster’s hit “Right Side of My Neck” drew an outburst of hoots and hollers. Webster played the keys as swarms of bubbles flew over the crowd. 

“Right Side of My Neck” paved the way for Webster to perform some of her older songs, featuring “Better Distractions,” “Kind Of” and “A Dream With a Baseball Player,” as blooms of red and pink fell upon the crowd.

The singer moved comfortably on the stage, nodding and kicking to each beat and swaying with bandmates during instrumental breaks.

The stage fell dark as Webster’s fictional digital karaoke game, Singsongarama, was projected largely onto the T-shirt behind her. The game was a product of Webster’s collaboration with rapper Lil Yachty, cartoonishly playing with pops of bright reds, greens and yellows alongside animated sound effects.

The game interface clicked through different Faye Webster songs before stopping on “Lego Ring.” A heavy guitar riff resounded through the air, accompanied by Webster singing in a sleepy, low tone.

Starkly contrasting the upbeat tune of “Lego Ring,” the gradual keyboard of “Jonny” stilled the crowd. A pink backlight illuminated Webster as the stage again darkened, creating a moody ambiance to accompany the jazz and blues inspired track, laced with piano, bass drum and somber guitar. 

Webster performed “Jonny (Reprise),” a stirring monologue.

“Jonny, why couldn’t you be ready too? / I was ready, ready to be happy,” Webster murmured in a whiny tone. “And the sorrows of love’s slow passing / Goodbye, Jonny.”

Following the dreary performance came “Lifetime,” extending the concert’s sappy section.  

“My mom is here tonight,” Webster said between songs. “Hi, mom.” 

“Tttttime” brought the mood back to a lighter tone, along with “After the First Kiss.” Webster maintained the dance-pop energy, exciting the crowd with her hit song “In a Good Way”. 

Webster closed out her setlist with “Cheers.” The backdrop beams of white returned, complementing the powerful auxiliary of the commanding soft rock song. The lights moved in a circular motion to mirror the fierce belt of the chorus, and Webster held her arms out to the crowd. 

After a brief exit, Webster returned with a smile, bringing out her close friend Nunu.

Strumming her guitar for “Feeling Good Today,” Webster’s voice warped with heavy autotune. The electronic sound distorted her voice into a synthetic haze, adding a robotic edge to her set. 

After a hug with Webster, Nunu stepped off of stage, leading the night to an end with the much-awaited “Kingston.” 

“The day that I met you, I started dreaming,” Webster bellowed into the silence, a warm glow blooming over the crowd as concertgoers swayed to the mellow tune.

Webster delivered a misty, dreamlike set, blending jazzy vocals, twangy steel guitar riffs and smooth indie rock into a night of nostalgia — finished off with minions and bubbles to deliver a concert that was uniquely, unmistakably her.