Raveena at Bluebird Theater | May 8, 2025
The Bluebird Theater is one of Denver’s coziest venues, located on East Colfax Ave., and arguably the perfect space for Raveena’s first Denver show in six years. Coming to Denver for her “Where the Butterflies Go In the Rain” tour, the artist prepared a beautiful set that melded various genres together and highlighted her Indian heritage.
A sea of colorful figures clad in linen pants and corset tops stood snuggly together, and happy faces could be seen at every turn. The overall tone of the night was laid-back and cheery. People chatted among themselves, complimented strangers’ outfits, and even kept each other’s spots—you’d have been hard-pressed to find a more respectful, kind crowd in Denver, and what brought them all together was Raveena.
Since the early days of her career, Raveena has always stressed the importance of curating mindful spaces for her shows and through her artistry. The music she’s created has always been a vehicle for expanding self-love and reverence for the universe. Speaking in her short film, “Where The Butterflies Went,” Raveena discussed how her third and latest album was a culmination of holding space for each version of herself that presented itself in her previous albums through a loving gaze. Spending extensive amounts of time in meditation and nature, the album is reflective of the time she spent getting to know herself.
“Where The Butterflies Go In the Rain” is a gorgeous album with heavy elements of neo-soul, R&B, and traditional Indian sounds. The fluttery, delicate tracks featured on the album pulsate with steady, tantric rhythms, and Raveena’s wispy vocals allow listeners to truly melt into the experience. Her lyricism on the album is incredibly poetic, and it’s clear that Raveena doesn’t miss a detail in her work. The song “Water” includes lines like “Ripples look like stretch marks,” creating vivid, nature-inspired imagery for listeners. The song also experiments a lot in its sound design and transitions effortlessly between various cadences and effects, pulling listeners into Raveena’s vibrant musical universe.
It’s clear that Raveena’s ability to take in her surroundings and her desire to understand herself and the world around her bleed deeply into her music.
Raveena’s self-awareness also translates heavily into the quality of her productions. Emerging from behind a thin, silk veil held up by her backup dancers, she embraced the crowd with warmth. Her set was simple, with one staircase that led to an elevated platform, a sheer background, and instruments. Dressed in a white gown with green details and gemstones that was reminiscent of ancient goddesses, Raveena’s hair flowed freely as she fluttered throughout the stage. Her performance was airy, but she possessed a wisdom and depth that carried the audience through each song with ease.
Midway through the show, Raveena also guided the crowd through a silent meditation. In the space of silence, audience members were given the chance to really tune into the experience and feel energetically tapped in with a room full of strangers.
The beautiful moment was a segue into a more sensual, energized latter half of the show featuring stunning choreography and a “Britney-mic” song moment. Between the dancing and shared moments of joy, Raveena wrapped up the performance by singing “Rise” as a call to action during a time of national (and international) turmoil and to raise awareness for the people suffering in the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Overall, the show was a beautiful display of artistry with humanity at the forefront, showcasing Raveena’s enduring spirit.
