Poetically Intimate: Dora Jar Live in Berlin
In a city like Berlin, that is known for its electronic scene, it was a breath of fresh air to see the warm, offbeat glow of Dora Jar take center stage at Kantine am Berghain on June 6, 2025. Though the venue holds just about 200 people, the audience felt ten times bigger with the way they joined in alongside Dora throughout her whole performance.
There was an electrifying start to the night when Florida-based singer-songwriter Holdan Sutton entered the stage with a low-key but heartfelt set. In between playing his songs, he shared a little about his album Vagabond, which he released this time last year. A standout moment came when he covered John Denver’s “This Old Guitar” – a gentle nod to storytelling traditions that clearly influence his sound to this day. The biggest crowd reactions came with his songs Glass and Too Timid, the latter being the last song he played before getting off stage, as well as the one most people in the audience seemed to have known best before the show.
When Dora Jar finally appeared, it was like someone had turned the dial up on the dreamscape. Opening with “Timelapse,” she had the crowd singing along immediately. The energy was electric, almost palpable, especially in such an intimate space. Despite the small size of the venue, the volume of fans singing and shouting her lyrics felt surreal.
A notable presence in the crowd? Gracie Abrams fans. With bits of memorabilia, like pins, t-shirts, or the donning of the classic Gracie Bow, dotting the audience, it was clear many attendees first discovered Dora as Gracie’s opener. But tonight, she stood entirely on her own, in full color.
One of the most memorable moments came during Debbie Darling, when Dora invited Holdan Sutton back on stage to act out the part of Debbie. Their goofy, affectionate interaction was met with laughter and applause. It was silly, unscripted, and totally genuine; exactly the kind of moment that defines Dora’s appeal.
She also treated fans to The Explorer, a brand new track released that very night, named after the funny nickname "Dora the Explorer" she had often been given as a child. The crowd, buzzing with curiosity, leaned into the unfamiliar tune like it was already a classic. Though it was her song Lucky that brought the room to a hush. Emotional and stripped back, it stirred something deep in the audience, which lit the room up in the glow of their phones' flashlights as they swayed along.
There’s something rare and magnetic about Dora Jar live. Her sound is whimsical, yes, but it's never hollow. It’s artful, emotional, and refreshingly organic. Watching her on stage feels like watching a painting come to life: full of color, texture, and unexpected movement.
This wasn’t just a concert. It was a love letter to vulnerability, weirdness, and the beautiful mess that comes with being a human trying to connect. Dora didn’t just perform, she made everyone in that room feel seen.
A beautifully intimate show from one of indie pop’s most original voices.
WRITTEN BY
Kira
As a little girl, my biggest dream was to stand on a stage and share my songs with people who can relate. It turns out that that’s a lot harder than it seemed. Still, there is a similarly electric feeling in the crowd, spending the better half of the evening with like-minded people. People who you might not know or ever see again, that don’t seem so much like strangers for those few hours you spend with an artist, their fans, and the music. To me, the capacity of music to make fans connect despite who they are is the most intriguing and inspiring phenomenon of all, and my hope is to share it with people as best I can.
PHOTOS BY
Anna
Hi, I'm Anna, a 21-year-old photographer based in Berlin with a passion for capturing live music. I've been pursuing photography since 2016, focusing on concert photography to bring the energy and emotion of performances to life. Being part of The Unseen allows me to combine my love for music and photography, turning unforgettable moments into lasting memories.
FIND US ON OUR SOCIALS:
