“Behind the existence which falls from one present to the other, without a past, without a future, behind these sounds which decompose from day to day, peel off and slip towards death, the melody stays the same, young and firm, like a pitiless witness.” – Sartre

It’s not often at an indie rap show, or any concert for that matter, that the audience feels part of a larger energy. It goes beyond the flawless recreations and improvisations of a catalogue and lingers in the air, subtly evading definition. While Dessa’s work is often mired in tales of relationships gone sour and various pitfalls of the human condition, there is an undeniably uplifting and magnetic appeal to her stage presentation.

Dessa is a true renaissance woman who not only dabbles but excels in everything from rapping to singing to creative nonfiction to teaching. Truly in her element on the Into The Spin Tour, you can see in her eyes and irrepressible smile that she’s loving every minute of the spotlight. As she closed out her set with three songs on the whiskey-coated floor of the Casbah, the crowd became one with Dessa’s meandering siren call and nodded their heads in definitive approval.

“I’m not suggesting anyone here is from La Jolla… far be it from me to assume you’re a complete asshole,” was one of opener Sims’ tongue-in-cheek jabs at the San Diego bourgeoisie and part of his comedic repertoire between songs. A captivating and inspirational wordsmith, Sims’ vast stage presence greatly exceeds his stature. His uptempo set paved the lane for the songbird Dessa to conquer. Always a stellar live performer, the Minneapolis-based artist took it to another level this go around while backed by an excellent three-piece band.