All Photo Credit: Nathan Smith
Allison Russell and Autumn Nicholas Hush the Royale in Boston
A night of stories, soul, and quiet magic unfolded at Boston’s Royale as Allison Russell spread warmth in an intimate room. Allowing every note of In the Hour of Chaos breathe beyond the record.
Allison Russell
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Allison Russell’s headlining tour was only three nights old when it reached Boston’s Royale on Sunday, Oct. 18, and she brought with her the energy of someone still thrilled to see her name on the marquee. The venue is normally a standing-room club. This time the seats were out, and the more intimate setup suited a night built on storytelling. Before the first song, Russell and her band gathered at the front of the stage for a short ritual, a quiet moment that set the tone for the evening. She was backed by a bassist, a guitarist and a drummer, and she moved between vocals, banjo and clarinet, often within the same song. The band’s rapport was obvious, with plenty of glances and grins passing across the stage. Russell also made a point of thanking Sarah McLachlan from the stage and talked about the summer she spent opening for her.
Much of the set came from In the Hour of Chaos, her third solo album, released back in July of this year on Fantasy Records. The record is packed with guest vocalists, and on paper it could have been hard to recreate on a club stage. Live, the songs worked better than they do on record. “No Springtime,” “Chaos Theory,” “Black Lavender,” “Cold April” and “Really Real” all got their turn, mixed with earlier material like “Nightflyer” and “Eve Was Black.” Russell is a performer first, and that came through in how she shaped the room. Plenty of the crowd stood and danced beside their seats during the livelier songs, then settled back in for the quieter ones.
Opening duties went to Autumn Nicholas, who made the most of their time. Between songs they chatted with the audience and told stories. The set’s highlight was a stripped-down cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
The room went completely silent, with no phones in the air and no whispering, just Nicholas’s incredible voice carrying across the Royale. It was one of those moments that reminds you why a seated, listening-room format can work so well. If the tour hits your city, it’s worth catching. Russell’s new songs are good on record and better in person, and Autumn Nicholas is an opener worth arriving early for.
Article by: Nathan Smith
Plug In. Tune Out.
Allison Russell is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter whose music weaves folk, soul, Americana, and roots into a powerful expression of resilience, identity, and liberation. With a voice that is haunting and healing, she transforms personal experiences into songs that embrace survival, community, and the radical beauty of reclaiming one’s story. Her artistry is as much an act of connection as it is a celebration of the human spirit.
