Minneapolis Embraces Samia in a Night of Vulnerability and Catharsis
June 6, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN
Moving out of Minnesota in 2021 was one of the more difficult things I had to do. That is until my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist gifted me with this song called “Minnesota” by an artist named Samia. This song made me feel heard and seen. Minnesota adopted Samia in the same way the city took me in. Now, four years later, I’m happily living back in Minneapolis. Finally getting a chance to see Samia live at First Avenue felt serendipitous.
On June 6 at First Avenue, the show started 15 minutes after doors opened, Ava Levy took the stage as the first opening act. Given that there was still a line around the block to get in, the crowd filed in slowly to the sounds of Levy’s music. Levy, a local Minneapolis artist, has been performing around Minneapolis since she was a child. With only two released songs on Spotify, “not ur clown” and “cat song,” Levy’s setlist was riddled with unreleased songs. Towards the end of her set, she brought Raffaella, the second opening act, up on stage to sing a song they’ve collaborated on. They were dancing and enjoying the time they shared on stage. Levy commanded the stage and captured the audience’s attention for her entire set.
Raffaella returned to the stage for her opening set. Playing half unreleased songs and half songs from her EP, LIVE, RAFF, LOVE, Raffaella’s high-energy performance had the fans in attendance singing and jumping along with her. After moving to Minnesota in 2020, Raffaella has settled nicely in the music scene here. “Courtney,” “GROWN UP,” “Polly Pocket,” and “Man of Your Dreams,” Rafaella told the meaning behind the song and how it was inspired by having to ask her sister to prescribe pills to a friend. Her banter between songs made it feel like she was telling stories in her living room. Raffaella’s stage presence and dancing made the crowd feel comfortable and compelled to learn more. With 4 unreleased songs on the setlist, it encouraged fans to stick around and follow her music if they want to hear those songs again.
Seeing Samia live brought me back to sitting around a campfire telling stories. A camping chair and a cooler as decor on the stage added to this aesthetic. Keeping the stage decor relatively simple allowed Samia’s vocals and lyrics to shine and be the main focus. As Samia walked out, her energy, excitement, and appreciation for the city of Minneapolis and her fans were written all over her face. Her huge smile reappeared every time the fans cheered her on.
Samia played all of her latest album, Bloodless, and then some. Starting with “Triptych,” “Fair Game,” and “Sacred,” Samia danced and flitted about the stage to the beat of the music. She spent time interacting with her band members and ensured they had their moments. Draped in beautiful pink lighting, “Carousel” felt like a religious experience. Samia’s airy, whispery voice filled the venue with fans swaying and singing along.
Many of the crowd favorites were her older songs like “Big Wheel” and “Kill Her Freak Out.” Giving fans a brief sentence before each song, there were glimpses of Samia’s personality throughout the night while keeping the main focus on her music. During “Kill Her Freak Out,” I saw multiple fans with their arms around each other, and there were whispers of “this song got me through a separation” all around me from various groups. The deeply personal and relatable nature of Samia’s lyrics is what made the night so special.
Ending the night with more upbeat songs like “Fit N Full” and “Pants,” Samia closed out her set dancing around the stage. There was a three-song encore performance, and the night ended with Samia bringing the two openers back up on stage for a sing-along to “Honey.” Fans in the entire venue were jumping and dancing with Samia and everyone on stage.
I was disappointed I didn't hear the song that made me a Samia fan, “Minnesota.” It felt blasphemous to exclude the song in Minnesota and at one of the most quintessential venues in the state. I was not one of the only people expecting to hear the song, and as we were all leaving, there were multiple people expressing the same shock it wasn’t played.
Regardless, Samia’s performance was a reminder of how beautiful music is and can be. Her lyricism gives pause for reflection, and the simplicity of the night left me solely focused on her music and those enjoying the music around me.
