Concert Review: Indigo De Souza at The Secret Group

After a long week of performing at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Indigo De Souza ended her Texas trip with a tour stop at The Secret Group in downtown Houston. On a cloudy Sunday, many of her fans, including myself, waited outside the venue in anticipation of the sold-out show on March 19, 2023. After a stressful spring break, a Houston concert was what I needed to finish on a high note.

At around 7:15 pm, doors opened, and fans spilled into the merch line covering the main venue entrance. Once the event organizers told people they could head straight to the venue entrance, I sped through the crowded merch line and tried to get close to the stage. As I stepped into the venue, I stood in general admission a foot or two away from the stage. It was while waiting for the opening act I met some fantastic people. The crowd was amiable, and I could easily chat with them, something I struggle with at other shows. Also, the outfits people wore felt like an Indie Pinterest board; two people even wore the same daisy crochet bandana, which I found funny how strangers unintentionally matched.

A little after 8 pm, the lights dimmed, and the opener Astoria, began her set. Her voice was soft and angelic, paired with a calm stage presence. Along with Astoria’s soft demeanor, the drummer paired his playing with other elements, such as cowbells and chains, bringing an ecstatic atmosphere to the small venue. During the hour set, Astoria introduced a new song about recent heartbreak called “The End of What.” The song captured the feeling of being hopelessly devoted to someone who hurt you perfectly.

After Astoria set, Indigo appeared as the clock struck 9 pm. Her outfit emulated her authentic nature, a tank top with jeans while she wore two braids and a hat that stated “same s*** different day.” With the crowd cheering, she opened with one of my favorite songs, “Darker than Death“ where the crowd began to shout out the lyrics as if saying a prayer. It began what felt like a spiritual experience between the singer and their audience. 

Following the entrance, Indigo played the song “Kill Me,” where she pushed and pulled between sadness and anger. The song starts slowly with:

Kill me, slowly, take me, with you.

Down to the garden, where magnolias bloom

“Kill Me” by Indigo De Souza

Although these lines appear at the song’s end, the guitar, Indigo’s voice, and the screaming crowd create a euphoric atmosphere. After the hyped-down crowd calms themselves, she shares a story of how she gave her body away to a man who played her. She describes how she tried to contact him to sort out her feelings and how he rejected the call because he was looking for his Gucci slides that got lost in this mail. Her tangent lasted around five minutes, showing her raw emotion and vulnerability, which I admire greatly in the artist I listen to. She sums up the story with the moral of addressing how one body is precious, and one should give it to someone deserving. Then she continues with more songs from albums such as Any Shape You Will Take and I Love My Mom.

After the heartfelt talk, she plays unreleased music for her upcoming album All of This Will End. The songs gave a with tracks such as “Sick in the Head,” “The Sun is Bad,” and “Good Heart,” three crowd favorites as they sang along and matched Indigo’s energy. She then played her newly released tracks “Smog” and “Younger and Dumber,” where the crowd joined harmoniously. Yet the show’s main highlight appeared at the end of the set with the song “Real Pain,” where the audience screamed at the ending lines

I wanna kick wanna scream, I wanna know it’s not my fault

I wanna know it’s not my fault, I didn’t mean it

I wanna kick wanna scream, I wanna know it’s not my fault

I wanna know it’s not my fault, I didn’t mean it

“Real Pain” by Indigo De Souza

It was after these lines where the audience joined in a harmony matching Indigo’s rage and pain. The small venue provided an intimate space for fans to feel close to the performer and pour their hearts out. It was spiritual experience having fan share their screams with one another and I am so happy I got to experience it live. It was a wonderful show with a great performance from Indigo, and great sound from the violinist, guitarist, bass , and drummer.