(excuse the terrible photo, I know….but the concert sold out fast and this was the only seat I could secure, that is somewhere near the ceiling 🙂 )

21.03.2026 at Fabrique, Milan

I’ve loved Suzanne Vega since I was a kid: right after the Beatles she quietly became my definition of music: voice, guitar and songs that don’t need to impress to exist.

So, when at the Conservatory in Milan she walked on stage and started playing it was immediately clear that nothing extra was coming, because nothing extra was needed: which, in 2026, feels almost radical.

The trio format worked perfectly, minimal, never empty. Gerry Leonard on electric guitar built these subtle layers with a looper, nothing intrusive, just textures that expanded the songs without weighing them down. And then, in some songs, Stephanie Winters on cello added a quiet, architectural depth.

Suzanne Vega’s songwriting has always been magnificent, but even more so live, where it becomes clear how she tells stories: with just enough detail to open a door, so you can walk through it on your own. Without any need to impress, and somehow that made it more impressive.

Setlist:

• Marlene on the Wall
• 99.9 F°
• Caramel
• Small Blue Thing
• Gypsy
• The Queen and the Soldier
• Flying with Angels
• Speakers’ Corner
• Chambermaid
• Left of Center
• I Never Wear White
• Some Journey
• Luka
• Tom’s Diner

Encore:

• Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed cover)
• Witch
• Rosemary
• In Liverpool