Zella Day at Schubas

As a part of the Lollapalooza after show series, Zella Day performed at Chicago's Schubas Tavern this past Thursday in front of a sold-out crowd. Regardless of what anybody expected prior to the show, there was one thing that we all had in common. As soon as Zella began singing, we all became instant fans.

Zella only recently released her first album. Her debut album, titled "Kicker", was released earlier this summer in June. Though she's considered a singer-songwriter by most, once you listen to Zella's music, you realize very quickly that she isn't a singer that can be easily categorized. While a lot of her songs have some indie/ folk/ alternative influence in terms of her vocals and guitar, her songs also combine traits of pop sound as well. This is evident in her songs, especially "High", "Jerome", and "Mustang Kids" which are all songs that have the perfect blend of organic instrument sound and catchy beats.

Most of the songs that Zella performed at her show, such as "East of Eden" and "Hypnotic", were upbeat. Towards the end of her show, she slowed things down with a beautiful performance of her song "Compass", probably my personal favorite off of her album. While it's customary for the singer to walk off the stage while the crowd demands an encore, Zella stayed real and avoided the awkward break. Instead, she offered to play us one more song before she has to take her leave. Choosing to end her set by circling things back to her roots, Zella ended with a haunting cover of the White Stripe's "Seven Nation Army".

Zella's live performance differed slightly from her recordings. Her live music was more alternative than pop and emphasized more on her voice and guitar than her recordings did. Listening to her songs live was an entirely different experience than what I imagined it to be. Her live performance proved that she's not just a pretty voice on the radio. She's a genuinely talented singer. I definitely prefer the live versions of her songs rather than her album versions. Knowing how incredible her concert at Schubas was, I can only imagine how amazing her performance at Lollapalooza was this past weekend.

When the concert came to a close, there was one thing that everyone was buzzing on about: Zella's incredible performance.This girl is truly hypnotic. If you want to listen to more of Zella Day's music, you can purchase her songs on iTunes or listen to it on Spotify. If you want to keep up with Zella, you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!