Breathless and blown away by Delta Rae at World Cafe Live at the Queen
Last night, Delta Rae performed at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington. After seeing them at three festivals I was not prepared for the force of nature they’ve become. Having honed their sound from two years of near constant touring, the energy of their set has reached a fever pitch. They opened strong, two drums kicking for the tune “Run”, from their recent release the Chasing Twisters EP, and by the time they got to a thunderous cover of Patti Smith’s “Because They Night”, I wondered if they could keep this sustain this level of energy and excitement.They did. Breathing only for a gorgeous completely unplugged version of a new song called Any “Better,” they left the crowd stunned with their soaring four part harmonies. There is a Fleetwood Mac influence here, but bigger, and seasoned with deep southern influence that shows up in songs like “Bottom of the River,” and “If I Loved You,” both highlights from the night. The vocals of siblings Brittany, Ian and Eric Holijes pairs with the outstanding energy of Elizabeth Hopkins are really something to behold. It’s a show you feel as much as hear. This is a band destined for larger stages; catch them up close while you can.