Karise Eden inspires devotion.
And not the Insta-following, superficial and vacuous type of loyalty. It runs much deeper than that. She has a soul-to-soul connection with her fans.
A blend of beautiful contradictions, Eden is a rare mix of bravado and brokenness. She takes fragility and adds powerhouse and appears completely uncensored yet still ultra private.
On this night (The Tivoli Theatre, 10 July) she came out on stage in jeans and a leather jacket, her hair partly obscuring her face and her shoulders slightly hunched. But her body language belied a growing confidence, and she cracked jokes with the crowd, with fast quips and a larrikin attitude.
Her speaking voice is deceptive, and she sounds young and girly, her giggles infectious and even more so when following a ribald joke. But once she starts in song, a hold takes over the space, the crowd instantly hushes and you can feel the collective intake of breath.
Hers is a sound unlike any other, although it has been likened to Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker, the raspiness and booming power easily matching these greats.
She performs a mix of the covers that made her a household name and heartfelt originals, each with an introduction or side-note explaining when she wrote it or what it means to her.
Recently, she was asked to perform a cover of Carol King's hit 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' for the television series 'Love Child', and after she finished performing it, a fan called out "Can you play it again?!", such was the heartbreaking sweetness of her rendition.
The crowd lavished her with lashings of love, calling out between songs, encouraging and requesting their favourite songs.
Eden channels something almost indescribable with her body, the sounds that pour out of her evoke shivers and engulf you in powerful, gut-wrenching emotions. She takes you from an unbearable lightness and softness to a deep, growling roar that awakens your darkside. Her voice captivates and can make you cry.
She had multiple standing ovations, did an encore and then still snuck back out on stage to perform 'Hallelujah'.
This intoxicating and unusual combination of raw talent, gutsy honesty and an aversion to fame that make her so appealing. And if she doesn't get that voice of hers onto the international stage and into the ears of the world, we will be poorer because of it.
