PHOTOS: Jessie Ware – New York, NY – 10/21

On a Saturday evening that felt more like a dreamy, sweaty underground ‘70s gay club party, Jessie Ware brought down the house at New York City’s Terminal 5 with a funk and disco-infused concert.

Imagine you walk into the venue a little late, and the air is already filled with pleasure. The crowd is bouncing shoulder-to-shoulder in classic cramped New York fashion. Jessie Ware is singing “That! Feels Good!” in a hushed, jazzy, rhythmic loop. A neon “The Pearl” sign glows above the stage, flickering between bisexual pink and royal blue lights. Radiating pure euphoria, backup dancers in flowy pants swirl and sweep across the stage with their prop trumpets. All eyes are on Jessie Ware dancing freely in a candy red outfit that drapes over her limbs like a majestic curtain, dramatically extending her every body movement to take up space.

Wrapping up the U.S. leg of her “That! Feels Good!” tour with two sold-out nights in New York City, the multi-talented British singer-author-podcaster had the whole crowd indulging in the catchy sounds of pure disco the whole night.

It was more than a concert. It was a celebration of what it means to be a free spirit, to be at one’s most confident and freaky. Jessie Ware declared during the opening song “Pleasure is a right!” with backup singers chiming in to invite the crowd to groove with them for the next hour and a half.

Ware was strikingly confident in her performance and artistry. Her retro-inspired sound was both new and old, both gritty and classic, both sweet and spicy. From the punchy, anthemic pop of the opening songs to a smooth, summer of ‘05 funk in “Hello Love,” Ware delivered a boundary-breaking show to capture the current state of her evolving sound. Ware is no stranger to funk or disco, and her performance this weekend elevated the genre in a bold, modern way. Her versatility as a performer dazzled the crowd and proved that she knew what she was doing. At the same time, she also injected some endearing British banter between songs and dared the crowd to join her in letting loose. Singing and dancing along was just impossible to resist.

At one point between songs, the stage was given to two backup dancers performing a homoerotic dance. Ware even brought out a bedazzled rope during “What’s Your Pleasure?” for some frisky, bouncy choreography.

After the lively first half of the show, a fan-favorite came during the acoustic stripped-down section. With only her and the pianist on the stage, Ware delivered a beautiful rendition of her timeless ballad “Say You Love Me.” The artist’s bulletproof vocals reverberated through the walls in the pre-chorus, amplified by the audience passionately singing along.

As the show neared its end, Ware kept the party going. Everybody in the room was dancing to “Beautiful People” as the singer celebrated self-love and body positivity: “Stand up, turn around, take that bow, because you look so good!”

It was a moment to soak in, with people grinning cheek-to-cheek and twirling around joyfully with friends to the catchy bridge. The talented backup dancers stole the show for a second time during their break dance solos, shelling out some explosive energy with glorious leg kicks, squat drops and back flips.

Ware had more to give when she surprised the audience by appearing in the crowd on the second-level mezzanine, covering Cher’s “Believe” for her penultimate song. Then, for the finale, Ware closed out the show with her iconic “Free Yourself.” She saturated the audience with enough funk and groove to intoxicate listeners after the show. The crowd was still singing “Free! Your! Self!” on their way out of the venue, feeling good and dancing out into the streets of New York.

Jessie Ware’s “That! Feels Good!” tour continues in November in her home country. Grab any remaining tickets here, and get ready to feel good and groovy.