Vanna Pacella
cafe nine
New Haven
Jan. 14, 2026
“She’s only 18?” I exclaimed in amazement when audience member Steve Dreher revealed Boston-Based singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Vanna Pacella’s age.
Dreher and his wife Linda drove three hours down to New Haven from Cape Cod to see her perform at café nine at the latest stop on her tour, backing Listen, her most recent album.
“We love Vanna. I’ve known her since she was 14. She wasn’t singing back then, just playing the piano,” Dreher shares about his hometown hero.
As fate would have it, Pacella’s birthday is the same day as their anniversary, and she always does a birthday concert. So, every year, the Drehers celebrate their anniversary by attending her show.
That’s love. That’s dedication. That’s support.
And Pacella has earned it.
Even during mic check, singing “check 1, 2, 3, 4,” to test the mic, Pacella’s smoky, textured voice carried power.
“This is so cool! This is my first time in New Haven,” Pacella said at the start of her set, which opened with “Periphery,” a single released in 2025.“And for once/ I can see/ And you’re not in my periphery … And for once/ I am free/ No, I am no longer yours to play,” she crooned. The song about breaking free from a toxic relationship went on for six minutes of lush melodies.
She describes her music as ethereal rock because, as she told Canvas Rebel: “It is a product of pure emotion, immersed with unfettered intention, bruised with the intensity of raw, distorted rock guitars, and it is bound with the lightweight, delicate, yet untouchable strength of grand pianos, sentimental vocals, reverb and honest, poetic lyricism.”
Pacella’s weighty lyrics belie her age.
On “The Dark Side of the Light,” off her debut album “Listen,” she sang, “A light to your darkness/ I’ve gotta get through this/ I’m on the dark side of the light.” A woman near the stage certainly was certainly struck by Pacella’s words, as she swayed to the music with her arms uplifted.
Backed by her guitarist and drummer, Pacella played the keyboard. (She also plays the synth bass.) As she sang, her voice soared over the din of the crowd. Her band’s sound could fill a stadium with their arena-ready chords.
“Plead,” an unreleased song and her favorite song she’s ever written, started off starkly then led into thunderous piano playing. Pacella also performed a mix of songs off her album, “Holding My Breath,” “All I Ever Wanted,” “The Less I Know.” The title track, “Listen,” was another six-minute darkly euphoric tune. Pacella’s set was sung with an effortless control and conviction.
Pacella wants to perform in New Haven again, so it’s safe to say we gave her a warm welcome. Toad’s Place is her dream venue. About her time in New Haven, Pacella said, “I love it here. The people here are amazing. There’s so much character. There’s so much life.” Here’s to hoping we’ll see her again!
Pacella’s album title Listen is a call to action that you would be foolish not to make. Her transportive music speaks for itself.
Learn more about Vanna Pacella at her website.
