Photos by Sarah Yoo
From late March to May 2026, Sarah Kinsley is truly bringing the yearning, reflective, and wishful aspects of the spring season as she travels across North America and the UK for her Fleeting Tour. On April 1st, Kinsley made her mark in San Diego, and this is not an April Fools' prank, but rather a beautifully composed set with awesome songs and amazing fans.
The show started with the opener, girlpuppy, who very much reminded me of a past opener of Kinsley, Alix Page; however, there were much more rock elements in girlpuppy’s discography. Her set was fun and lively, and the lead singer knew exactly how to interact with the crowd, which I thought was endearing. In terms of music, the band was an archetypal indie-rock-sad-girl ensemble, which is not a bad thing, but also it was nothing new. Moreover, I was quite disappointed in the venue itself, because their audio continues to suck. Granted, I have only been to the Music Box twice, but both times the openers were faced with terrible sound quality, and it was so hard to make out what the singer was saying. Like the music was good at least, but when the lead singer is talking about how she is singing vulnerable lyrics, I want to hear them, and I want to connect with her, but nope… the audio was so bad.
Moving onto the love of my life, Sarah Kinsley, I have seen her once before in LA (fun fact: I saw her the day before I moved into my freshman year dorm), and truly, seeing how much she has grown from 2024 to 2026, I was in so much awe. From the Troubadour in Los Angeles to the Music Box in San Diego, the vibes were so different, in the best way possible. Seeing Kinsley with a full band, able to dance across a stage, and pick up her various instruments, she is hands down one of the best live performers I have ever seen. There is an ethereal aura she carries that accompanies her ethereal music. Her setlist consisted of various songs, from old releases to newer songs from her EP Fleeting. It truly was a full circle moment to be able to see Kinsley take the songs she “thought she had to make” and sing them with her personal creative flair, essentially reclaiming autonomy over work of hers that were so policed and controlled. For example, in her performance of “I’m Not a Mountain,” Kinsley reminisced about how performing this song allows her to re-explore the emotions of such formative projects, and she is forever grateful for such opportunities.
One thing about Kinsley and her shows is that you, the audience, will know exactly how talented she is. With her background in classical music and education at Barnard for music, Kinsley was jumping from synths, her guitar, keys, and of course, her infamous contact mic. Moreover, her experimentation with her discography through an angry performance of “The Giver” and a slower, more orchestral version of “Black Horse” created an intimate space between artist and listeners. Seeing her in her element alongside hundreds of other fans created an ambiance that was memorable in every sense of the word. Finally, ending with the lead single off her latest EP, “Fleeting,” seeing her have so much fun, everyone dancing and jumping, and with less than 20 phones in the air, I was so impressed and had such an amazing time.
Kinsley is an artist that you can see without knowing a single song, and then leave feeling a new sense of nirvana. Her performance is a movie in itself, and experiencing the ephemerality of her songs about loss, yearning, and making a new life, she truly is the soundtrack of life.
A gallery of photos from that evening:
