Right up until he began to sing. From the first pitch-perfect note - rich and warm yet soaked with fragile tenderness - Teeks commanded both the stage and the room.
He opened with the soulful Wash Over Me, from his 2017 EP The Grapefruit Skies, before addressing the room confidently in te reo. It was only when he switched to English that he hesitated, his confidence faltering as he took in the size and scale of the room.
He had always wanted to play the Town Hall, he told the crowd, and electricity filled the room as we realised we were witnessing someone achieve their dreams in real time.
As the night progressed, we were taken on an ever-deepening emotional journey as Teeks shared new music - the first time he'd performed many of the songs live - along with a handful of exquisite covers, including Bic Runga's Drive.
Every song, old and new, felt beautifully familiar, embracing and enthralling listeners. As his voice soared, you couldn't help but imagine Teeks performing on a bigger stage, in front of a bigger crowd, captivating the world with his vocal superpower.
At one point, he sang "set fire to my soul, you're making me whole again". Never has a lyric felt more exacting.
But even then, there was more magic to come. Joined on stage by a champion kapa haka group, the room erupted as Teeks performed a rousing version of his cousin Ria Hall's waiata Te Ahi Kai Pō, a song of protest about Māori land confiscation and colonial oppression.
The powerful performance earned a well-deserved standing ovation and would have been a worthy closing number. But there was still one more treat in store. One more healing salve.
As Teeks introduced Hollie Smith to the stage, the pair performed a flawless duet of the classic hymn, Whakaaria Mai.
It was exquisite. Not for the first time, tears were shed. Neither tears of sorrow or joy - simply tears of feeling. And healing.
For our small group, it was everything we needed. And I suspect, for others as well.
