Sax Appeal: Tash Sultana blew out Voodoo Lounge on their North American tour

Tash Sultana serenades the audience // Photo by Hayden Kalp

Tuesday night in the Voodoo Lounge of Harrah’s Casino saw Australian performer, Tash Sultana take on KC for only the second time ever. Sultana’s music can only be described as the kind of thing you hear while flying in your dreams. The same can easily be said for their supporting act, Chiiild.

As the crowd began piling in, Chiiild laid down a half-hour set of absolute gold. They were a perfect fit for the night’s vibe, as their music infused cool R&B beats alongside airtight drumming, warm guitar, and sorrowful violin. Chiiild could have easily been the headlining act, and it was hard to believe they weren’t.

Then Sultana came on. 

As the house lights went off, and the stage lights turned green, Sultana got into their first few songs. Their stage presence was captivating yet minimal. They were ethereal, needing only to look up, nod their head to the beat, and flash a smile to enthrall their audience.

The first five minutes of their solo songs consisted of looping keys, guitar, bass, and drums before breaking into their dream-like, Eilish-esque singing. Sultana is no mere multi-instrumentalist, they are a multi-specialist. Every instrument they touched only showcased more and more ability and range. The show’s true stars were Sultana’s guitar and saxophone playing, with the high points living in those moments. During each solo, every third phone in the audience would come out of their respective pockets, people would scream, and Sultana would deliver.

Tash Sultana shares a moment with crowd // Photo by Hayden Kalp

Also delivering was Sultana’s backing band, who came out during the latter half of the set. Each instrumentalist had their moment and solos alongside Sultana, and they were all completely locked in with each other. 

Sultana has been touring for some time now, and they confessed that the smaller venue size was a great change of pace. “I haven’t played a small room in a while, there is just something magical about it,” says Sultana. And magical it was. Bringing an arena-ready set into a room of (maybe) 1,000 people creates an experience very few artists can pull off. Akin to trapping lightning in a very, very small bottle. 

Sultana’s music is for anyone and everyone, as was their performance. Chiiild was the icing on top, and the audience was eager to get lost in a night of unforgettable R&B music.