Kara Jackson | Grand Salon, Botanique | Brussels, Belgium | 7 November, 2023
Despite the grim, cold rainy weather outside, the Grand Salon of the Botanique is full of warmth. I am grateful that this event is seated with chairs towards the back and rows of cushions facing the front of the stage. The lighting is shades of violet, deep blue and a warm magenta that highlights the ironwork and the setting in a blanket of comfort.
This is 24-year-old Chicago-based artist, Kara Jackson’s first time playing for an audience in Belgium. She takes the stage with poise and self-possession, launching into a cover of the Karen Dalton song ‘Right, Wrong or Ready’. One of the marks of a talented artist who knows themselves is being able to translate a cover into that which feels as if it is their own. With Jackson’s magnificent vocal talents and delivery the song feels not so much someone else’s work as it does Jackson’s own.
Kara follows up ‘Right, Wrong or Ready’ with one of her own masterpieces: ‘no fun/party’ off her debut album Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?. Witnessing her play this song live is as riveting as hearing it for the first time. Not only is her voice so rich, complex and emotive but her talents as a lyricist is profound and touching. Combined with her words and delivery it is impossible not to be touched in the same way that a Judee Sill or Connie Converse song leaves you feeling haunted, yet intimately understood in a way that is impossible to define.
Despite the heart-rending nature of much of her work, Jackson is one to tell a hilarious story or quip in between songs. “This song is called ‘therapy’, which is funny because it’s not about therapy at all,” she explains without missing a beat going into the first lines of the song “every man thinks I’m his fucking mother…”. Relatable. Before ‘dickhead blues’ she explains, “I have had to play this in really awkward situation. Once I played this in front of a US ambassador. I asked if it was okay, and she told me it was fine,” she shrugs, “so maybe she’d gone through something too.”
As she wraps up ‘dickhead blues’ with the lyrics: “I’m not as worthless as I once thought/I am pretty top-notch,” someone in the audience calls out, “Yes you are!”, making her crack a smile. Before ending things, she assures the crowd that she will make it a point to come back to Brussels, and rest assured this audience is ready to welcome her back for more.
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