Meg Kirsch at the Turf Club

By Emma Chekroun

The lights dim, and the crowd bubbles with whistles and cheers, finally bursting into a chant—maybe a plea—for Meg Kirsch to come onstage. Kirsch, after walking on shyly, turns her back to the audience, doing her best to put on a rock ‘n’ roll persona; all the audience can see is the back of her black leather jacket. A rich, symphonic opening transitions into a deep drum base that offsets Kirsch’s sweet, gentle voice. The crowd hushes as they take in every gentle vocal. It’s a great start to Kirsch’s release show for her EP, “Street Cat.”

Kirsch giggles and jokes between songs, exuding Anna Kendrick-esque charm. She exchanges thanks with an audience member, but concludes with, “You paid to be here, so thank you first.” 

Each song incorporates different instruments, such as maracas, and features powerful intros that shift to meet Kirsch’s tone. The first half of her set feels vaguely country thanks to her guitar work and soft, genuine nature. When she sings “To think we’re all alone, we’re not…” the Turf Club patrons share a moment together. 

When “Ships” begins, a fervor works through the crowd. This is what they have been waiting for. Introducing more techno sounds and shifting into a more emotional tone, Kirsch makes her range known. She closes the short EP release show with a song about her cat before heading out of the cozy bar into the cold February night.