An opening act kicks off the performance! Paravi, a phenomenal Indian American pop singer/songwriter, and her two best friends. From her appearance to her powerful voice, Paravi is undoubtedly a stage presence made for audiences. She emphasized that many of her songs are about being an immigrant’s child. Towards the end, Paravi performed her own rendition of Beach Bunny’s “Cloud 9” which helped her secure a record deal. The song “Suspicious Minds,” which appears on the soundtrack for the movie Elvis, was recorded by Paravi earlier this year. This song wasn’t something she frequently performed live thus it was definitely something for the tour. Their performance came to a close with her song “Golden Child.”
Niki ascended the stage as the main act at nine o’clock to a roaring reception from the audience. She opened the show with “Keeping tabs,” one of her most recent songs, and distributed beach balls to the crowd. After that, Niki sang “lowkey,” a hit song that the entire crowd joined in on. She remarked that she had never been to Santa Cruz before and that she had noticed a loving mood within the Catalyst Club walls. The song “Backburner” by Nicole was then performed by Niki while picking up her guitar. Niki is willing to alter her set list to match the performance since she always understands what her fans want. She made the decision to sit on stage with her guitarist Tiana for this part and solicit song suggestions from the public. Santa Cruz selected “Split,” therefore they got the song in the acoustic form! Following that, she changed guitars for “La La Lost You.”
She was aware of the audience’s requirements at all times and noted that the setting was undoubtedly heated. After that, Niki asked the staff and security to provide water to the crowd before she began performing “Oceans and Engines,” her next song. Fans were undoubtedly relieved and appreciative to receive cool water, and Niki’s contribution to that memory alone will not be forgotten. She had to perform “High School on Jakarta,” one of her newest title songs, of course! The song “Every Summertime” was then used to close the event. Niki was only on stage for an hour, so the performance was undoubtedly brief, but Niki made that hour unforgettable.
Written by Sarthak Gupta
ART
is incomplete without an audience. Although each individual has a unique experience, the collective vibe of the room paints a vibrant picture. The ~400 words this post completed this memory painting with strokes, shapes, and colors that drew attention to the fun, kindness, and connectedness between artist and audience. The solid wood frame of song details and recent artist history did justice to showcasing a breath taking hour in the life of the author of this piece.
by Seiji Kawamura
RTVR 121 & 21 (student & DJ candidate) Fall 22