Concert Review: Kali Uchis is a Modern Venus Onstage

In a performance that was both statuesque and sensual, Kali Uchis entertained a packed crowd of fans at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on May 10. With non-stop action, Uchis presented a selection of her most-popular material alongside tracks from her new album, “Red Moon in Venus.” As her first time Headlining for the first time since 2019, Uchis exuded confidence while creating a sense of magic through her bilingual R&B.

Thematically, the show rejected the toxic expectations that the music industry and men place on women. Instead, Uchis’s concert affirmed feminine independence, embracing both her sexuality and vulnerability in a performance of true self-expression.

The tour’s opening act, British R&B artist RAYE, embodied many of the same sentiments. RAYE’s performance — which included a live band and minimal choreography — waffled between deeply personal and highly danceable. A moving rendition of “Ice Cream Man,” which grapples with sexual assault and misogyny, led the crowd to illuminate their flashlights in solidarity. She finished her set with the more upbeat “Black Mascara” and “Escapism,” before thanking the crowd and remarking that concert-goers “didn't bloody pay to see me.”

As Uchis’s own set began, it was clear who the crowd had paid to see. Above two onstage staircases and three archways, a digital red moon rose as ethereal music played. The audience roared. Bathed in a red glow, Uchis’s dancers appeared carrying a large, feathery bundle. As blue lights came up, Uchis herself materialized from within, launching directly into her two-time platinum hit, “telepatía.”

Accompanied by six dancers, mimicking disciples divided on either side of her, Uchis appeared god-like in a black cutout dress with sheer flowing sleeves. The set further leaned into the theme of divinity, with white archways suggestive of a Greco-Roman temple providing visual depth. At times Uchis performed atop the arches, as if on a pedestal, while more vulnerable songs saw her framed within one of the archways, leaning against their walls for support. The dancers’ movements matched Uchis’s, as they, too, whirled around every inch of the stage.

Uchis front-loaded the show with her most popular tracks. “telepatía” bled directly into “See You Again”, “Get You”, “Worth the Wait”, and “10%” — a whirlwind of hits the crowd loved. With no breaks between the songs, Uchis was relentless onstage. The singer added new harmonies to “10%,” while sidling across the stage in front of her dancers’ intense choreography. Uchis glided down one staircase and posed at center stage, absorbing the crowd’s energy.

Eschewing descriptions of each song, Uchis allowed the music to speak for itself. Her discography balances intimacy and danceability, and the show’s setlist did the same. The lighting matched the mood of each track — red lights and strobing accompanied Uchis’s upbeat tracks like “Speed” or “Endlessly,” which faded to blue for slower tracks like “Melting,” “Loner,” or “I Wish You Roses.” The six back-up dancers matched the singer’s energy, allowing her free rein of the stage for those slower songs.

These mellow interludes showcased Uchis’s more personal side. Before launching into “Loner,” Uchis admitted she “has always been an introverted person.” Because of that, the moments when she did open up rang truer. During one of those moments, Uchis shared some advice she had received.

“Holding onto anger is like holding onto a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else,” Uchis said, “and the only person who gets burned is yourself.”

Themes of forgiveness and independence intermingled in many of Uchis’s pieces. In “Moral Conscience”, she sang “when you’re all alone / you’ll know you were wrong”, calling out a past lover for undervaluing her. Her performance of “Dead to Me” featured Uchis embracing her own sensuality as a means of moving on, singing “you’re dead to me, could you just leave me alone?” while swinging her hips towards the audience.

These more intimate tracks never dragged, however, due to her powerful vocal performance and commanding stage presence. Uchis comfortably nailed her highest notes, effortlessly slipping between singing her most vocally demanding tracks and dancing to them.

A particularly fun series of four Spanish language dance covers gave both Uchis and her dancers ample opportunity to display their moves, captivating the audience. Against a bumping beat and dizzying lights, they gyrated and gestured, inviting the crowd to do the same.

Uchis’s ability to blend English and Spanish has always been a major part of her appeal. Weaving her way through “Moonlight,” Uchis leaned into her bilingualism. She followed it up with an unreleased Spanish song she described as “really personal to me.”

“I wrote this about leaving a toxic situation,” she shared during one of her few addresses to the crowd. The track will feature on her upcoming Latin album, whetting appetites for another new release shockingly soon after “Red Moon in Venus”.

The back half of her set featured many standout tracks from that record. Despite the album’s recent release, her fans knew nearly all of them by heart. That dedication surprised Uchis. “I didn't know Boston was gonna give me this energy,” she laughed, before launching into her two final songs. “I Wish You Roses” was followed by a special rendition of “After the Storm,” during which Uchis impressed with complex vocal harmonies. As the final notes played, she departed the stage exactly how she arrived: carried off in a feathery cocoon by her dancers.

Returning with a brief encore of “Blue,” Uchis put the bow on a transformative concert experience. She elevated the biggest hits from her career and new album with flawless choreography and an inspired set design. And with a little taste of her next album, her fans were already excited for what’s next.