Jessie Ware at 9:30

From the moment she stepped onto stage "dressed like Michelle Obama" to the last note of the night, Jessie Ware commanded and astounded the near capacity 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Ware began her quiet storm influenced set with "Devotion", the title track from her debut album. Any questions about this mysterious, yet utterly charming Brit were gone by the time she finished her second song, "Still Love Me."

What followed was her rocking "Night Light", a song Ware described as "knowing Americans would like," and she was not wrong. As it turns out, most Americans not only like, but positively love every single one of the young talent's songs. Performing her album in its entirety, plus two covers, Ware churned out a tightly polished set that warmed up the chilly, January night.

Between belting her heart and soul out during each and every song, Ware would pause between numbers and adopt an entirely different demeanor. She danced with the crowd, told stories about meeting fans before the show and made jokes about her lack of “pop star qualities.” To compare her to two other modern British musicians, she was Adele during the song, leaving no question about her talent, and Chris Martin of Coldplay when not singing, self-depreciating and genuinely thrilled to be where she was. Several times during the evening, Ware made comments about how the 9:30 Club was the biggest venue of her American tour and what a great crowd it was, after which the concertgoers would erupt into cheers for the British crooner.

One of the highlights of the show was when Ware preceded her powerful "Taking in Water" by telling a story about her little brother, whom she wrote the song for. A few songs later, Ware brought the house down with "Wildest Moments." After she announced she had one song left, the audience erupted into a frenzy, to which Ware gave in and added a cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love" to the set. The closing number, "Running" was a fitting end to the evening with everyone in the venue fully immersed in the swirling synths, echoing guitars and Ware's unbelievable voice.

Ware admitted midway through the show that she does not like touring at all, and has mentioned on other occasions her dislike of the spotlight, which is unfortunate because she is made for it. There are some people that possess the natural ability to captivate a crowd and Jessie Ware is definitely one of them. In a world where electronics and auto-tune are all too abundant it is refreshing for a true talent to shine through. Expect more from this girl in 2013 and beyond, because the ones with real ability and passion are the ones that last.

Given her poise and stage presence it is astonishing that she is on her first American tour in support of her debut album. The concert could have continued for another hour and a half without Ware losing any steam or the crowd losing any enthusiasm for the music. With the crowd begging for more Ware laughed, “This really is the last song! We’ve played the album in its entirety.” She mused aloud that she wished she could come back to Washington next week, something everyone in attendance would certainly wish for as well.

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