Photo Credit: @sifjar_
It’s a chilly October evening and /Form Space has just reopened its doors to concert goers in Cluj-Napoca, after a few months’ renovation. It’s only fitting that one of the more notable shows to inaugurate the intimate venue’s new configuration comes in the form of Kalandra’s first show in the city, coming more than halfway through their current European tour.
Up first was the opener for the night, Italy’s Lili Refrain, who stepped out onto the stage at 8PM sharp. As she would explain about halfway into her performance, the show is focused around her use of looper pedals. Using a pedal for each instrument she uses – guitar, keyboard, a drum and her voice – for a total of four, the singer blends these elements to create a sound that varies from one performance to another. From atmospheric in one moment to rousing in the next, Lili’s performance was entrancing, keeping you locked in for the duration of her forty-five minute long set. While some of the sounds she employs during her shows will not be up everyone’s alley, the improvisational nature of her set helps make each Lili Refrain concert innovative, memorable, and fresh. 8/10
Half an hour later, the stage has been cleared, the lights go dark, and four Norwegians make their way to the stage. After a short intro, Kalandra start their set with a trio of songs from their 2020 debut album: The Waiting Game, Slow Motion, and Naive. Through their blend of soothing atmosphere and some heavier sounds, the four-piece band perfectly sets the mood for the rest of the night.
It’s at this point where they begin to sprinkle songs off their newly-released album, A Frame of Mind, starting off with I Am, which lets guitarists Florian Döderlein Winter and Jogeir Daae Maeland show off their chops during the song’s moody instrumental passages. The band are clearly very in touch with their Nordic roots, too, as witnessed by the amount of songs in both Old and New Norse, such as Virkelighetens Etterklang or Segla. About halfway into their set, one of the guitarists switches out his six-string in favour of a billy goat horn, or bukkehorn, for an instrumental jam lead by the Scandinavian instrument.
Throughout the night, lead singer Katrine Stenbekk takes a few moments to address the crowd, thanking everyone for coming out on their first headlining trek through Europe, as well as their first stop in the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca. Her brand of sarcastic humour offers those in the crowd a glimpse into her shy personality and is offset by the warmth of her vocals, which helps you feel as if you’re being transported to another realm. Stenbekk’s range and control is nothing short of astounding and a clear show-stealer, especially during performances of Slow Motion and its chorus, or The State of the World’s ending.
After enchanting the crowd with some more fan favourites, including their cover of Wardruna’s Helvegen, the four members of Kalandra take a bow, before asking everyone if they want another song, and promptly finishing their set with the dark tones of Bardaginn. As the song ends and they take a bow once again, one thing is clear: this was a perfect show from these Norwegians, and everyone present, including the band, enjoyed every second of it. Tusen takk, we hope to see you again soon! 10/10
Written by Florin Petrut
