LIVE REVIEW: Lily Vakili in Cambridge, MA (10.24.25)
In the intimate, soft-lit space of The Lily Pad in Cambridge, where no more than twenty or thirty people gathered on a Friday night, Lily Vakili took command of the room with unmistakable style. Dressed in leopard-print yoga pants, a leather jacket, and her signature hat, she arrived with a presence that felt personal, equal parts informal and iconic. She opened with “On the Road Again.” It wasn’t the familiar Willie Nelson version, but Lily’s playful acknowledgment of that fact set the tone.
Moving into her own material, the second song, “Okoboji,” found her already making the stage her home. She leaned into the groove, relaxed and radiant, lit by the crowd’s comfortable attentiveness. The instrumentation danced around her voice, laced with bright memories of the place named in the title, a feeling of sunlit water and laughter, the kind of carefree moment that never lasts quite long enough.
By the third number, “Hold On They Say,” the connection deepened. She sang not just to herself but to everyone in the room, urging us to “hold on to the ones we love.” The audience was in her palm. Not one phone was raised, not one distracted look. Perhaps the only screen was mine, quietly taking pictures. This felt intimate, this felt personal, this felt like what live music used to be when musicians and audience shared something real.
Then came “I’ve Been Hiding,” a quieter and more reflective moment.
She turned things up again with “Sharp Devil,” bringing a fiery edge back into the set with bluesy guitar, a little swagger, and her voice rising in strength and conviction. Past reviewers have called her “a force of nature, unafraid to express her beliefs,” combining grit and grace in equal measure.
The sixth song, “Maybe It’s All Over,” carried a sense of bittersweet reflection. It felt like a quiet storm, exploring endings and renewal with a voice that hovered between defiance and acceptance.
Finally, Lily closed the night with “One Human Being.” It was the perfect finale, a song about compassion, resilience, and the beauty of connection. Critics have said that Lily writes “for the ones who know, whether it’s about desire, love, loss, or defiance,” and in this performance, she delivered all of that and more. As the last notes faded, the audience responded with heartfelt applause.
Photos – Lily Vakili at The Lilypad in Cambridge, MA on October 24th:
