Rachel Chinouriri

Victor Gonzalez
Jun 13
2 min read

Rachel Chinouriri Brings Infectious Energy to Sold-Out Empire Garage - June 7th, 2025.

The line stretched down the block from Empire Garage on Saturday night, a testament to the anticipation surrounding Rachel Chinouriri's Austin debut. Originally scheduled for Parish, the show was moved to the larger Empire Garage to accommodate demand—a smart move considering the British-Zimbabwean artist's first-ever North American headlining tour has been selling out venues across the country leading up to her Bonnaroo set on June 13th.

BIZZY kicked things off with a tight 25-minute set. The Maryland native songwriter-turned-performer brought her alt-pop anthems to a nearly full house ready for a night of open-hearted vulnerability. For someone who used to be "terrified of singing in front of a crowd," BIZZY was a natural. Her engagement with the fans, vulnerable lyrics, and frenetic energy won over the audience immediately.

Alemeda continued building the evening's momentum with her own brand of introspective alt-pop. The Ethiopian-Sundanese artist has a remarkable ability to package heavy subject matter into something you can still move to, and her warm stage banter made the garage feel more like an intimate living room than a concert venue.

When Rachel Chinouriri finally took the stage, Empire Garage exploded. Rachel and the audience fed off each other's energy, and it continued to build and build the longer the night went on. In between songs, Rachel would speak directly with fans and would often elicit some of the loudest yells and cheering I've ever heard at Empire Garage. She charmed Austin by calling Paprika the best tacos she's had and even gave the owners tickets for the show that evening. Similarly to how Tamara Jiji eloquently shared in her review of the tour's stop in Los Angeles, "Her palpable buoyancy cast a spell upon every occupant of the room, leaving no audience member still." But seeing it in person was something completely different, and it became evident that this won't be her last time in Austin, although I highly doubt we'll catch her at Empire ever again.

Find Rachel Chinouriri at: Instagram, Website, and streaming everywhere. Her tour continues through June with stops at Bonnaroo and beyond.