- Maya Dawn
- May 19
Updated: May 19
Wednesday night at The State Room presented an intimate evening for true music lovers in downtown Salt Lake City. Local friends joined together for Sir Woman, an Austin, Texas-based artist, bringing us soulful vibes that made the midweek venture something worth staying up for.
There was something refreshing about how unpretentious the crowd felt, like everyone had left their ego at the door. The music hypnotised the audience like a warm, whisky buzz. The night wasn’t about being seen; it was about being present. People moved their bodies with relaxation and satisfaction. Everyone appeared comfortably unguarded, which created an experience you can't always land upon in Salt Lake City.
There's a certain kind of vibe where the energy in the room matches the energy on stage, and Sir Woman curated that essence effortlessly. The State Room, a venue tucked along South State Street in the heart of downtown, proved once again why it's one of Salt Lake City's most beloved intimate spaces. The warm acoustics, close atmosphere, and vintage lighting made every element of the night feel personal, as if the whole thing had been arranged just for the people in that room.
What stood out immensely was the background vocals of Uncle Roy & Spice. They weren't just filler; they were the heartbeat of the performance, weaving in and out of the lead melody and lifting the entire room at the perfect moments. The instrumentation was equally on point, making Sir Woman not just a solo act, but an ensemble of musicians who share the kind of chemistry that can't be rehearsed. Each band member had a moment to showcase their talent, and you could feel the genuine connection in the way they moved together, while sharing their love of music with everyone lucky enough to witness.
Sir Woman, the project of Kelsey Wilson, has been building momentum with her undeniable talent. She took the Austin music scene by storm with her self-titled debut, going on to earn Artist of the Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, with features in Rolling Stone and CBS News along the way. Her most recent duo albums, If It All Works Out and If It Doesn't, gave Wednesday night's setlist plenty to work with. The band played "Get Out of My Mind" and "Circles" alongside crowd favourites "Highroad" and "Making Love." Each song landed with the weight of familiar experiences, even for first-time listeners.
The songs of Sir Woman feel lived-in and honest, as if pulled straight from a series of journal entries. That authenticity on stage allowed a crowd spanning multiple generations to let their guard down and simply be present. No posturing, just people sharing space in the kind of moment that doesn't come around every Wednesday night. Live music in Salt Lake City can surprise you with intimate, soulful nights like these that audiences will never be able to forget.
If you missed Sir Woman at The State Room, let it serve as a lesson: when the buzz is real, show up. You won't regret it.
