Suki Waterhouse Shines in Charlotte

Singer-Songwriter Dazzles the Crowd at The Amp Ballantyne

Every time Suki Waterhouse makes an appearance, it seems like a little bit of magic happens. In fact, you could say she turns each venue into the Coolest Place in the World which is exactly what occurred recently in Charlotte. The multi-talented English singer-songwriter performed her blend of dreamy pop tunes to an enthusiastic audience at the Queen City’s newest live music venue, The Amp Ballantyne, and what a night it was.

The mostly young and female crowd was lined up and waiting to filter into The Amp as I arrived. Judging from the excited conversations and animated faces that I saw, everyone was pretty hyped up for the show and to get their chance to catch Suki live in action.

The venue is a 3,500-capacity outdoor ampitheatre with several tiers to provide great sightlines for everyone in attendance and a stage large enough to accommodate just about any musical act. The staff is wonderful and plenty of food and drink options are available, including various food trucks lining the outer perimeter of the amphitheater.

Opening the night’s festivities was singer-songwriter Danielle Durack. Durack hails from Phoenix, Arizona, releasing her debut album Bonnie Rose in 2017. She took the stage armed with an acoustic guitar and quickly won over the audience with a spirited brand of indie rock and indie pop tunes including songs from her latest record, 2021’s No Place. Her voice had a wonderful tonal quality that allowed her to carry easily across the open-air venue. The highlight of her set was an absolutely stunning, slowed-down acoustic version of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more from Danielle in the future and I’m glad I got the chance to see her set.

Next to take the stage was Carol Ades. You may be familiar with Carol from the television show The Voice. She was a contestant on Season 5 of the hit show, working with CeeLo Green. Carol hit the stage with her guitarist, both wearing schoolgirl outfits, and got things going by getting the fans involved early on. Sharing stories from her life, Carol opened up to the crowd, explaining a bit about some of the songs like “crying during sex” and showing her vulnerability. This vulnerability carried through her performance and seemed to bond the audience with Carol almost instantaneously. Her set was solid and if she happens to be playing near you, I recommend you go and check her out.

After two rock-solid sets by Durack and Ades, everyone was warmed up and ready to go for the one and only Suki Waterhouse. The lights were dimmed as Suki’s band made their way one by one to their respective spots on the stage. You could hear the roar of the crowd a mile away as Suki walked out from the wings, taking a spot center stage, hands up and outstretched in appreciation of the audience’s reaction.

Waterhouse is not only a singer and songwriter but also an actress and model and she looked every bit the part. Dressed in a gorgeous shimmery jumpsuit, long coat, and white boots, Suki was a breathtaking vision as she began to wow the crowd with her powerful songs held aloft by her commanding voice. The fans were ecstatic singing along, hands waving in the air as Waterhouse captured their attention and held it the entire evening.

Her band was amazing, a tight unit that elevated the performance to the next level yet never took the attention away from Suki. She addressed the fans at different times throughout the set, keeping that connection between the artist and the audience alive and well. Waterhouse even took a moment to give a shout-out to The Ballantyne Hotel, which is nestled right behind The Amp Ballantyne and told us that it was lovely and she might have to write a little song about it. Throughout the night, Suki treated us to an auditory experience with songs from both the I Can’t Let Go album and the Milk Teeth EP. My personal favorite was her latest single “To Love,” a passion-fueled slow burn that builds to a stunning high before bringing us back down to Earth.

When Suki announced she had one final song, nobody was ready for the night to be over but unfortunately, all good things really do come to an end. Suki won’t be back on the road until next year when she heads down under for a string of Australian dates. Here’s hoping she announces more U.S. dates very soon!

See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.