Concert Review: quinnie’s Dreamy Night Celebrating Gentle Love

Intimate yet powerful, Quinn Barnitt, also known as quinnie, delivered a moving performance at Boston’s Roadrunner on Dec. 10. Supporting The Japanese House on the last stop of her 2023 North American Tour, quinnie’s set was delicate and dynamic.

From the start, quinnie made herself at home, taking the stage shoeless while playing the guitar and opening with her unreleased song “ripple.” Joined by friends and colleagues Jake Weinberg and Hudson Pollock on guitar, quinnie presented a taste of the intricate storytelling, twangy vocals, and robust instrumentals to come.

By Courtesy of Anna Moiseieva

Bathed in bright purple light, she went on to perform “itch,” the third single of her album “flounder.” A song about loving the chase of a relationship and worrying that the real thing won’t be quite as fulfilling, quinnie’s breathy vocals singing “What if I never scratched another / itch for the rest of my life?” enriched the dreamy atmosphere of the show.

quinnie shared multiple unreleased songs throughout her set, telling fans, “Sorry, it’s a little selfish — but it’s really fun for us.”

The ethereal track “baja bird” delved into themes of growing up quickly, and the heartwarming song “for you” focused on how magical it is to have a family, inspired by the love shared by quinnie’s parents and the love they had for their kids.

The audience also gained some insight into the creation of “flounder,” with quinnie sharing that she named the album before writing the song of the same name. Circling blue lights enveloped the trio as the nimble guitar instrumentation and tambourine in the song’s introduction created a sense of underwater peace, highlighting the track’s message of returning to the ocean when the world feels heavy.

In light of the winter season, quinnie performed an original holiday song, “silver second,” and invited the audience to feel the festivity if they were up for it. Lyrics looking to the past, like “moved away from home / ran from the winter / I’m still your sister,” mirror the journey many people make to go home for the holidays. The slow tempo and stripped-back instrumental, along with the poignant lyrics, make this a fitting song for Boston winters.

When introducing her hit song “touch tank,” which went viral on TikTok in 2022, quinnie shared an anecdote about hearing the song played “out in the wild” — in a restaurant she visited with friends.

“We were like, ‘What are you playing this off of?’” said quinnie. “And the waitress replied, ‘It’s on our Valentine’s Day playlist.”

The song tenderly celebrates gentle love with lyrics like “you took my breath away / so now I can’t suck in my stomach around you anymore” and an upbeat backing guitar, building energy throughout the song while still letting quinnie’s vocals shine.

By Courtesy of Anna Moiseieva

Closing out the set with “gold star” off her 2019 EP of the same name, quinnie wrapped up the show much like she started it. Her soft and striking vocals alongside the song’s rumination on her devotional role in a relationship brought quinnie’s touching performance to a peaceful end.

A remarkable exploration of intimacy, love, and self-reflection, quinnie’s concert was full of well-crafted lyrics, rich instrumentation, and delightful singing. With new music in the works, quinnie’s future projects are sure to dazzle even more.

—Staff writer Anna Moiseieva can be reached at anna.moiseieva@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @AMoiseieva.