The same day that tragedy hit France, the country sent one of its brightest exports to San Francisco to prove that it will continue to create beauty for the rest of the world to see. Singer Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, played an incredible set on Monday night at the Regency Ballroom to a mostly francophone crowd that had gathered in solidarity to welcome the singer with the million dollar smile. Her setlist was comprised of songs that ranged from her earliest years up to her most recent and critically-acclaimed album to date, “Rest.”
Each song was played meticulously with sincere emotion by the iconic performer with the soft crystalline voice, a sound that’s become her trademark. Gainsbourg, a woman of few words, did take a break mid-set to battle her shy demeanor and announce tenderly to her fans that “tonight’s show is dedicated to my sister Kate.” It was a touching moment for anyone in the audience who knows their story, and one that lingered throughout the night.
The talented actress who’s received both a César Award and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for her work in film, used that skill on stage to captivate attendees from start to end by performing her music not like it was a job, but rather a journey into her heart and emotion. The 80s/90s decor of strobes and neon lights beaming behind her provided the perfect backdrop for her story, which at times had us all thinking we were standing in a trendy smoke-filled Parisian nightclub putting out an unfinished Gitane and sipping on a glass of fine wine.
Check out the selections of our favorites photos from the evening and be sure to check this talent as she heads to your town.
Photos by Louis Raphael
