Zoe Wees headlines her first tour this year with a stop in NYC
Fresh from a European tour this past April, German singer Zoe Wees hosted her first concerts in the United States earlier this month. On August 3 in New York City, Zoe greeted fans at Mercury Lounge, an intimate venue for a sold-out show, on the Lower East Side in New York City, sandwiched between a Lollapalooza appearance in July and a headlining concert in Los Angeles on August 4.
Penelope Q, a New York native opened for Zoe with melodic songs like “service road to boston” and “One Degree” that energized the crowd before her headliner. Her soft sound, accompanied by her acoustic guitar, in the dimly lit venue made it easy to lose yourself in the music as your surroundings faded away.
Photo by Yvonne Pan
Zoe’s authenticity and down-to-earth attitude was apparent even outside of her music. Rather than coming onto the stage via backstage, Zoe walked in through the back and entered through the side, weaving through concert goers and waving at everyone before adjusting her microphone. Zoe’s green, floor-length braids and matching acrylic nails easily made a statement without being obnoxious about it.
Zoe’s raspy voice and her thoughtful lyrics made the concert an incredible experience and she had a way of enrapturing an audience. Matching her energy were guitarist Kyle Ward, pianist BLK BOK, and drummer Havyl. Although I came with a friend, I barely acknowledged him; it was hard to take my eyes off Zoe when she sang. Most concertgoers were swaying to her music, phone flashlights on, arms waving in the air.
Although Zoe grew up in Hamburg, she has written music in English since she was a kid. Her music career started with “The Voice Kids” when she starred in the fifth season of the music talent show in early 2017. Years later, she came out with her debut single “Control” which talks about anxiety and her experience living with benign rolandic epilepsy. The hit song hovered at number one in France and the top ten in Belgium when it was released.
Zoe’s deeply personal lyrics make her music very relatable and she made a point to introduce every song. “Daddy’s Eyes” talks about meeting her father for the first time at 16 and noticing they have the same eyes. “Hold Me Like You Used To” is another song about a family member, her great grandmother who passed away.
Other lighter songs performed include “Girls Like Us” and “That’s How It Goes,” released with artist 6LACK. Zoe has also collaborated with other artists like Felix Jaehn on “Do It Better” and Tom Walker on “Wait For You”.
“Penelope Q was an awesome opener and Zoe Wees was great!” concert goer and New Jersey resident Daniel DePillo said. “The best part of the show was the energy Kyle brought to the stage.”
The rest of Zoe’s set included performances of songs like “Halloween,” “Ain't Really Good For Me,” “New York Pretty,” “Third Wheel,” and “Ghost.”
You can stream Zoe’s EP “Golden Wings” on all platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. For other Zoe Wees content, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok.