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<\/a>After years of lending her distinctive, goosebumps-inducing vocals and writing talent to other artists, it was a treat and a privilege to be front and center for the one and only Yola last Friday night at The Heights Theater in Houston, TX. The artist, who proudly stood center stage on her first headlining tour ever, shone with a deliberate brilliance that will long be remembered by Houston fans, who continuously shouted out titles of favorite tunes and were cheering for more by the evening\u2019s end.<\/p>\nOpening for Yola on this special night was Houston\u2019s own Thomas Csorba. A recent graduate of Baylor University, Csorba is a baby-faced old soul whose performance recalled the artistry of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. In fact, when he first hit the stage, I was immediately reminded of Van Zandt by his appearance alone\u2014he bears a striking resemblance to the late troubadour. He treated us to a flawless 30-minute set, and I have a strong suspicion that we certainly have not seen the last of this talented young man. A couple of highlights from his set were \u201cJericho\u201d and \u201cPlastic Jesus,\u201d but ultimately, every song was as good as the one before, and his entire set was poignant and heartfelt, ending much too soon.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>But then, it was time for Yola. I\u2019d been waiting quite a while to see this engaging performer, whom I\u2019ve been a fan of since hearing her lend her talents to other artists over the years. Rocking a cute floral print dress and a cropped black leather jacket, she entered onto the stage after her bandmates had begun an intro of sorts, and the crowd instantly erupted in eager applause and cheers. Touring in support of her new album, Walk Through Fire,<\/em><\/strong> (Easy Eye Records, 2019) produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Yola snagged 4 Grammy nominations this year, and it was clear from the start of the evening that she came to have fun and to show us why she is so deserving of these nominations, which included Best New Artist and Best Americana Album.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/YOLA-2-300x223.jpg\")
<\/a>Onstage, Yola radiated both warmth and exuberance as she introduced each song she played and gave a brief background on most of them, including her harrowing yet humorous tale about penning \u201cWalk Through Fire,\u201d the title track from the new album. The song, which she co-wrote with producer Dan Auerbach and R&B legend Dan Penn, was one of many memorable tunes from her 90-minute set, which included new fan favorites and a handful of covers, such as Elton John\u2019s \u201cGoodbye Yellow Brick Road,\u201d and a soaring rendition of The Hollies \u201cAir That I Breathe.\u201d She also covered a great version of Auerbach\u2019s \u201cStand by My Girl,\u201d and Aretha Franklin\u2019s \u201cAll I Need (To Get By).\u201d<\/p>\n