*Photo by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto*

9.15.26 - Minneapolis, MN

After releasing her debut album and going on tour, Marielle Kraft spent 2026 seeing where the wind would take her. As it turned out, the wind brought her to Minneapolis on September 14 as the opener for BLÜ EYES. Krafts’s deeply personal lyrics and innate storytelling abilities lead to a night of laughter and tears.

As soon as Kraft stepped onstage, the energy in the room shifted. What started as a quiet opening turned raucous with laughter as Kraft introduced herself as “Kraft with a ‘K’ as in Kraft Mac & Cheese.” Her charisma immediately drew the crowd onto her side. As a former middle school teacher, Kraft also bonded with the other teachers in the audience and made an effort to point them out as the night continued.

Just her and her guitar, Kraft’s musical and lyrical talents were highlighted throughout the night. Every song became an acoustic song instead of sounding exactly like what was on the album, which was a good twist to presenting her music in a different way than what’s on Spotify. She started off her set with “No One’s Ever Been In Love,” which was a cheeky song about how she was the first person ever to experience a love like hers.

Photos by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto

She was so candid with the audience it felt like talking to a close friend. Each song had an extensive backstory that Kraft willingly shared. She teased upcoming music and how she had already written 50 songs for her soon-to-be-released sophomore album. She treated the crowd with an unreleased song, “Caretaker,” which was a personal story about learning how to accept other people’s care instead of always caring for everyone else.

One of the best moments of the set was Kraft nerding out about the recent Moon exploration, the Artemis program. She shared how she was so inspired by it that she wrote “Carroll” in the 40 minutes the live feed cut from the Artemis program. The song even caught NASA’s attention, and they encouraged her to officially release the song.

I discovered Kraft after hearing “10x Better” on a Spotify-curated playlist. Since then, that song has made its way onto several of my playlists. I had the chance to see Kraft for the first time at Summerfest in Milwaukee this year. Whether it was a festival stage or a small room like 7th St. Entry, “10x Better” sounded just as good.

The most emotional part of the night was when Kraft performed “The Right People Will Love You.” The title track to her debut album, Kraft, emphasized the importance of creating shows that are a safe environment for everyone. The song was inspired by two girls who came up to her after the show and said it was the first place they could openly and comfortably hold hands. As Kraft sang out the lyrics, there were sniffles from the crowd and tears streaming down some of their faces. It was such an awe-inspiring moment and instantly connected everyone in that venue.

The indie-pop singer-songwriter had a way of bringing everyone in and making them feel like they were their truest selves. If they weren’t familiar with Kraft’s music before the show, then they certainly were after that set. As Kraft continues to pursue her music career, I’m excited to follow it and see how she culls down 50 songs for her next album.