Review: Jessie Ware at Lincoln Theatre
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride," Jessie Ware joked on a BBC evening show in February. It was in reference to her being nominated for her third Best Female Solo Artist at The BRITs – the UK's Grammys – and having never won. But the same sentiment could be applied to the London pop vocalist's career as a whole. Yet, Ware would be the first to tell you she wouldn't have it any other way.
Last Friday, she revisited the nation's capital for the first time in over three years, and it was long overdue. DC was the last stop of Ware's Glasshouse Tour and the nearly sold out crowd would not remain confined to their Lincoln Theatre seats for long. Her performance at the gorgeous venue wasn't particularly well-suited for the communal atmosphere Ware creates at her concerts, but a few courageous fans led the way by standing as soon as she walked on stage. Saving us all from the awkward decision of whether or not it was polite to stay seated.
But a Jessie Ware concert isn't meant to be seated, as evidenced, only a few songs in, by her playing along with a fan attempting to seduce her with his dance moves to Selfish Love. The set was filled with fan-favorites from across her three albums and spanned the spectrum of emotions that Ware is able to capture in her songwriting. She brings you into her world with songs that touch on her falling in love with her childhood sweetheart and becoming a mother, and then shares in the unbridled joy with her fans on her anthemic pop hits that are impossible not to sing along with.
All photos by Jordan Wilhelmi for Capitol Sound DC.