March 10th, 2023 was a beautiful night for crying the night Carla Morrison played at the Rosemont Theater in Rosemont IL (a suburb of Chicago). It was the final night of the last leg of Carla Morrison’s El Renacimiento Tour and it gave the sold-out crowd a night to be joyfully sad over. Endearing music, heavenly voice, and divine showmanship perfectly encapsulated the heartfelt emotions Carla Morrison is known for.
The night started off with two opening acts, pop duo Reyna and Chicago-based singer KAINA. Reyna’s indie pop songs are perfect for those feeling sad, even dedicating a song to people who have been ghosted or those who have ghosted people. KAINA continued this vibe with a grand opening set, showcasing her wonderful voice and even getting the crowd in a sing-a-long.
At 9:30 pm, spaceship-like lights consumed the theater. Then out came Carla Morrison with her song “Eres tú”.
And it was accompanied by every single voice in attendance. During the break due to technical difficulties after the first song, Morrison admitted that she felt that booking Rosemont Theatre felt a bit unrealistic. Nonetheless, the theater was packed and everyone there came to sing her songs. She couldn’t stop expressing her gratitude at that moment, which perfectly led to her next song “Azúcar morena.”
Carla Morrison’s songs are either romantic or sad, generally speaking. But it’s their intimate sound makes the music more charming.
The loving and affectionate sound of her music was surprisingly able to captivate and engage the massive venue. Each song performed held true to its emotive qualities, whether that be haunting piano chords or Morrison’s beautiful voice. Nothing better captures this than when Morrison played her hit, “Te Regalo,” a truly delicate and graceful romantic number. Despite the studio version being a simple piano ballad, the live version utilizes the entire band, consisting of drums, guitar, and keyboards. Morrison sings as if she is singing live for the first time in 2017 when the song was released. This moment was one to melt even the hardest of hearts. You could tell she meant it when she sang, “Te voy a amar hasta morir” (“I’ll love you until I die”).
In between songs, Morrison loved to engage with her audience. She took these moments to empower the crowd and remind them to take care of themselves, especially their mental health. Upon addressing mental health, she sang “Dejenme llorar.” Fans of Radiohead were in for a pleasant surprise when during her acoustic song “Esta Soledad” she performed an eerie cover of “Creep.” A cover that seriously could give Radiohead a run for their money.
The show ended with “Diamantes”. And in that final song, Morrison introduced the band, allowing everyone to showcase their talent for a moment.
Morrison walked along the front of the stage and grabbed the hands of audience members. The pop tune was a sensational sendoff. As she spent a few moments after the show taking selfies with fans, the emotions were still very much felt in the theater. Carla Morrison was able to captivate the crowd and had them singing the entire night. It was almost as if they were the ones performing and Morrison was the audience! The show made it perfectly clear she has the ability to play these massive venues such as the Rosemont Theater. And I think it was a great start for more and more people to discover the beautiful music of Carla Morrison.
For more information on Carla Morrison, please visit carlamorrisonmusic.com
All photos by Oscar De Leon.