The Glue Club in Florence typically opens at 10 p.m., but tonight was an exception. Due to the large crowd that had gathered early, the club began admitting fans ahead of schedule to alleviate the congestion in the front yard. Emma Nolde, originally from a town 50 miles from Florence, is playing the final show of her NUOVOSPAZIOTEMPO tour here at the Glue club, a venue where she first took the stage. The diverse crowd, ranging from teenagers to seniors, speaks to her broad appeal and the intersectionality of her music in an ode to the quality of her songwriting.
By 10 p.m., the club was packed with just over 300 people, and around 200 more were outside, enjoying Emma Nolde’s homecoming concert through speakers set up for those who couldn’t get inside. The lights dimmed just after 10:30 p.m., and the band entered amidst the smoke, soon joined by Emma Nolde as the intro to her “Pianopiano!” [lit. Slowslow!] filled the air. The backing band consisting of Marco Pizza on drums, Panco on synths and saxophone, and Andrea Beninati on cello and electric bass, performed a dynamic set blending new tracks from her third album NUOVOSPAZIOTEMPO [lit. Newspacetime] (2024) with hits from her earlier albums Toccaterra [lit. touchground] (2020) and Dormi [lit. (you) sleep] (2022).
The 90-minute set masterfully alternated between upbeat synth-heavy tunes like “Pianopiano!” and “Mai Fermi,” [lit. Never Still] and slower songs such as the hit “Sirene” [lit. Sirens] and “Sorrisi Viola” [lit. Purple Smiles] – a deep cut from Toccaterra – and “Dormi” from her eponymous album. A highlight of the evening was “Universo Parallelo,” [lit. Parallel Universe] a song imagining a parallel universe where Nolde and her father are contemporaries and friends, performed poignantly with her father in the audience. The set continued with fan favorites like “Tutto Scorre,” “Berlino,” [lit. Everything Flows and Berlin] and “Punto di Domanda,” [lit. Question Mark] during which an exceptionally talented young fan joined the band on stage.
Following a short break, the band performed a very emotional three-song encore which included “Sconosciuti” [lit. Strangers] and “Nero Ardesia” [lit. Black Slate]. At the end of the show, the home crowd roared in applause as it was time to bring up the lights and close the first leg of her NUOVOSPAZIOTEMPO tour, in anticipation of additional shows this summer.
GALLERY: Emma Nolde at The Glue Club in Florence, Italy (March 8, 2025)
