I arrive at The Loft, the venue located on the second floor of what appears to be UCSD’s main cafeteria on campus. There’s already a line forming outside of the entrance. Attendees and their friends are laughing and talking about the details of their day, all energized for the show that was to come.
As I walk in, I am immediately in awe at how sophisticated and just plain adorable the small venue is. The lighting was dim, creating a comfortable and warm atmosphere, and small pieces of modern furniture which were perfect for lounging in, were sprinkled throughout the room. The room gradually filled as the well-anticipated show was about to begin.
The crowd was greeted by the opener, Tillie, accompanied by a recording of the classic theme song from the show Law and Order. To anyone that is a fan of the show (me), Tillie had already won them over with a great first impression. She carried out her show energetically by singing all her funky upbeat music including a cover of the classic, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, by Cyndi Lauper. The crowd was predominantly female so she lit up the faces of everyone in the room with that piece.
Just before singing, Hungover on a Feeling, she shared with us that it was written the day after President Donald Trump was elected in 2016. She explains that she woke up the day after the results came in and felt exactly like the title of that song. She then passionately urged the crowd to vote, because if we don’t, nobody else will. Tillie performed the rest of her released music with the utmost dedicated energy, occasionally picking up her electric guitar and jamming or jumping across the stage and dancing in the crowd with fans. This energetic performance was all accompanied by her drummer. The crowd screamed their goodbyes as she notified us that her set was over. I found myself smiling, knowing that she’d gained a lot more fans with that set, including myself.
It finally was time for Transviolet to make their way to the stage and the fans could sense it. The lead singer, Sarah, was greeted by screams and was accompanied by her band members with extraordinary back lights which set the vibe for the rest of the night. As soon as the first song, “Night Vision,” started playing, the venue was transformed into a fun and jumpy outing that would fit perfectly in any coming-of-age indie film. The night progressed, and Sarah connected with her audience by making eye contact with every single fan in the first three rows of the crowd. She even stared into my soul for a solid minute while she sang and the band played “Bad Intentions.”
The talented singer put the show on hold, however, to share her encouragement for us to vote in the midterm elections. She knew that the crowd was filled with bold and intelligent college students who would have open minds and open hearts to take her words as inspiration to go the polls. After such a moving speech, Transviolet played a few more songs before she signed off with their last song, “Pretty Head.” The fans had no reason to be sad however, because both Tillie and Transviolet made themselves available to meet with everyone in the crowd at their merchandise table as soon as the show ended.
Without a doubt, the theme of the night was to be empowered. Everyone left The Loft that night with an inspired attitude towards politics, spread through the words of two smart and talented women. Transviolet and Tillie proved they can not only share their voice through heartfelt and confident lyrics, but also through empowering and inspiring speeches to take our country’s future into our own hands.
Written by: Samantha Kacz
Photos by: Samantha Kacz
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