Emei, an alt-pop artist from LA, returned to Boston in March on her “RABBITHOLE” tour. A Chinese-American musician with a growing following, Emei is no stranger to Wellesley College — she performed at the Chinese Student Association’s Culture Show in Spring 2023. However, as my friends asked “What is Emei?” to my plans to see her show, she seems to be still under the radar to many, despite her past string of viral singles.

When she was just 15, she competed on “Chinese Idol,” a Chinese reality/singing competition show, later releasing her first songs in 2021. These songs went viral on TikTok, launching her music career. Since then, she has released three EPs, her latest being “Rabbithole.” Her songs range from electropop earworms to pop-rock headbangers to acoustic ballads. Emei’s music covers a wide range of topics beyond the typical romance-related pop anthems, speaking to friends, family and her personal growth and struggles with anxiety, stress and ADHD. 

For her VIP experience, Emei performed a short acoustic set featuring two of my favorite songs, one of them being her song “Dear Emily.” During her following Q&A and fan meet-up, I noticed that many attendees were decked out in white, black and red –– the main color themes for Emei’s tour. After the VIP experience, the crowd grew exponentially for her sold-out show. 

After watching openers Ashley Mehta and Haiden Henderson, the stage went dark as red lights slowly flashed and illuminated the stage. Emei was here. She opened the show with her viral hit, “Love Me Not,” a catchy pop-rock hit about overthinking. She followed with non-stop jumping songs like “Cynical,” “Irresponsible,” “Crazy Stupid Love,” and “That Girl.” 

During a set filled with fan surprises (such as launching merch into the crowd) Emei performed a host of newly-released songs including “Rabbithole” and “9 Lives” –– two tracks which are on opposite ends of the energy spectrum, but encompass the range of sounds she brings to her discography. 

Emei’s set concluded with her anxious, fun and vibey hit “Scatterbrain,” the title track from her previous album which characterizes her personal experience living with ADHD. However, having had access to the VIP setlist before the show, I knew the show wasn’t over without an encore. Returning to perform “711” –– a favorite of mine which questions Emei’s anxieties and emotions, Emei brought the show to a compelling end. 

After bearing witness to Emei’s energy and song lyrics live, it became clear how she utilizes music to tackle others’ perceptions of her. She unabashedly makes fun of what others may think; and as a Chinese American woman, she brings visibility to living with ADHD in a fun and digestible manner. Commonly seen as a “white boy disorder” and misunderstood in Chinese American women, ADHD can be a contentious topic –– especially when brought to the spheres of arts and music. However, Emei turns her internal monologue into fun and catchy music which can help listeners understand their own inner selves. A bold, colorful and stylish artist, Emei is a stand-out, and certainly one to watch out for.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Ivy Buck, Nita Kelly

What are your respective roles when it comes to writing and recording music?

Jack: “We do work very closely together when we’re writing songs, but we have very different processes and roles within the band. Charlie writes all of the music; I don’t really know any instruments or play anything. I write all of the lyrics, and most of the melodies. But the way we work is not separate. When we’re sitting down to write a song, he’ll be playing a guitar riff, I’ll be coming up with melodies. But he’ll also throw out melodies and I’ll throw out ideas for guitar even though I can’t really speak in that language. It’s a very collaborative process.”

You referred to writing music as a language — do you think this is a universal language or something that the two of you have honed together as you’ve tapped into this relationship?

Jack: “My perspective is that any other guitarist I would work with would think I’m crazy if I tried to communicate with them. I kind of tell Charlie to make things sound more like whatever vague idea I have in my head. Like, make it sound ‘brighter’ or make it sound more like a certain color or ‘bigger’ or ‘wider.’ Words that aren’t exactly the best descriptors, and yet Charlie tends to get my drift.”

Charlie: “Yeah, we’ve gotten very good at communicating with each other, and I’d say especially now that we’re in college and we have such limited time together, we’ve gotten very efficient at describing the sounds and visions that we share.”

What would you say is the thesis, the main message of this album?

Jack: “It’s an album that I poured a lot of myself and my ideas and my stories into. When we first started writing it, I think Charlie and I were very focused on writing a coming-of-age album, if you will. We were focused on that Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” energy — escaping your hometown, growing out of your parents’ house, becoming your own person… But I also think that now that I look at it as a complete picture, I can say that it’s less about leaving a place or childhood behind, and more about leaving a version of yourself behind, and becoming happy and comfortable and proud of the new version of yourself. I guess it speaks to something larger — I hope it does.”

In terms of lyrical content, how much of it would you say is storytelling or real experiences or some combination of the two?

Jack: “I think for me, with lyricism — I would argue with any art form — there has to be a little of yourself, a little of the artist embedded in it. But I don’t think these [songs] are entirely based on real life. Sometimes I go back and listen to a song and I think to myself, ‘did I really feel like that, or is that an exaggeration of an exaggeration that has been buried by time and nostalgia and all those things?’… with a lot of [the songs], there are kernels of truth in them, but it is very much not based entirely on experiences I had. I just like telling stories. I like expanding on a single thought and saying, ‘what could that be if it was a six-minute song?’”

My favorite song on the album was “Riverbend”. It felt like the centerpiece of the album, and is notably the longest song at 11 minutes. Can you speak to the process of creating this song?

Jack: “Riverbend” is the most honest [song]…Riverbend really formed over the course of three months or so … We hit the ground running, and then every single line or riff or melody after that was just laborious. It really did feel like dragging through the mud because we cared about it. We knew we wanted to create something bigger than any of the other songs, so we set out with that goal. It really only took shape within two weeks or so, where we had been stagnant for a long time, and all of the sudden the song just came to life, lyrically for me. It felt like it clicked into place and the lyrics kind of fell out.”

Charlie: “I think pretty early on in the process we started referring to the song as ‘11 Minute’ or ‘9 Minute Song’, far before we had nine or eleven minutes worth of material. But I think since we came up with the outro part, we had this idea of this grand, long masterpiece to be on the album. This vision was there from the start.”

Now that you’ve finished this album, do you have a vision of what the future looks like for you guys?

Jack: “I can say Charlie and I are both very proud of the album and happy to have it out there. We wanna just sit with it for a minute and let people enjoy it. You know, our many adoring fans … But at the same time, we are kind of sick of talking about these nine songs, and we are itching to play something new and to create stuff and put out new material. The goal would be to not take as long on the next [album]. As far as what we wanna do with it, I think expanding musically is a big thing … It’s just about creating and creating and not looking back”

Charlie: “We’re just really looking forward to creating and doing something new with our sound. I can’t wait to see what it turns into.”

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Norah Catlin

The strength of the show is in its ensemble cast. Each character is played with care and enthusiasm –– willing us to love them with their sheer passion and sincerity. Specifically, the sweet pairing of Mafioso-turned-diner-owner Al Dente (Mattea M. Conforti ’28) and undercover angel Anne Gelic (William Murray ’26) left me utterly charmed and rooting for these crazy kids to end up together. By the eleven o’clock number, even Claire’s somewhat dull, straight-man protagonist shtick, which up to that point had been overshadowed by the far more outlandish characters making up the ensemble, found its footing, serving as a solid lynch-pin for the unlikeliest of friends.

As the Trump administration takes aim at drag performers, “101 Damnations’” doubling down on HPT’s history of performing in drag seems notable. Although their brand of drag is closer to early “Saturday Night Live” or “Kids in the Hall” than “Paris is Burning,” the fact that all but three of the characters were played in drag demonstrates a commitment to gender fuckery that is admirable for an organization reliant on tax-deductible donations.

As befits our current moment, the jokes were biting. They were current and they were risky and, while they didn’t always work, the cast committed to making the leap regardless. They punched up at Mark Zuckerberg and down at Cornell, committed to an extended bit about a right wing extremist fish, and made a crude joke at the expense of Wellesley “girls” (touché.)

It is no secret that I have been critical of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals previously for their turn towards cowardice in past productions, preferring the safety of outdated references to the risk of actually saying something substantive. However, I walked away from Tuesday night’s production honestly delighted by the company’s earnest commitment and willingness to take a risk. By the end of the production I wasn’t worried about the convoluted plot or the admittedly weak songwriting –– I had been thoroughly won over by a production that I found genuinely heartfelt and funny.

“101 Damnations” will continue its run at Farkas Hall in Cambridge through March 9th. You can also catch them in New York City on March 14th and 15th or ––if you happen to be in Bermuda –– on March 21st.

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Ivy Buck, Norah Catlin 

“The purpose of the light show is to introduce people who normally don’t come into the greenhouse to plants and recognizing their beauty and admiring them with the Wellesley community,” Husaani said. She emphasized the importance of making  Global Flora accessible to the public, reinforcing its role as a community gathering spot. In that spirit, the event extended an open invitation to all local Wellesley residents. 

Each year, the interns come up with a new and exciting theme inspired by nature. Last year’s “Evolution of Love” explored themes of love and self-healing. This year, “Plants in Motion” took inspiration from a popular movie franchise. “The original idea was ‘Night at the Museum’ where the plants come alive, and so we kind of pivoted to focusing on how they move and the journeys they’ve taken,” Husaani explained. 

A key educational aim of the show is to spotlight specific plant characteristics. As such, the main focus of this year’s event was the movement of the various flora on display. To fully capture the plants’ motion, the interns and botanical garden staff turned up the speed of the huge overhead fans from 25% to 75% to create a swaying effect on the leafy, tropical plants in the wet biome.

One such standout was the sensitive plant, a favorite of Sanchez’s. “It was the most visibly on-theme plant we have,” she noted, referring to the way it curls inward when touched. To complement the plant and create a keepsake memory, guests were given the option to decorate and plant their own pots of sensitive plant seeds to bring back home. Apart from decorating plant pots, students and guests were encouraged to share snippets of poems and passages on the mezzanine to fully immerse themselves in the magical night.

In addition to emphasizing certain plants using string lights, the event featured artwork by Wellesley alum Isaac Zerkle ‘18, a printmaker and installation artist. The pieces, inspired by global flora and crafted from wires and printed paper mache with original illustrations, were internally illuminated to showcase the seed history of various plants. Among the depictions was the mangrove propagule, displayed near the Mangrove Tank in the Wet Biome, and the Durant Camellia seed in its dedicated exhibit. 

Although the lights have since been removed, the lightshow leaves behind certain remnants for students and guests to enjoy, including Zerkle’s art installations and the mesmerizing sensitive plant. For more information on visiting hours, students and guests can check out the College’s website.

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Norah Catlin, Nita Kelly 

Since that night, I’ve listened to everything Leigh has released, from her 2023 EP “The Only Thing Worse Than A Woman Who Lies Is A Girl Who’ll Tell Truths to Carrier Pigeon,” her debut album from 2024. Prior to seeing her in concert last November, I got the chance to interview Leigh. During our conversation, I asked what fans should expect at her concerts. She described her shows as “quirky, fun, and sassy.” Keeping this in mind, my friends and I headed to the Sinclair in Cambridge on Nov. 10, eager for a stellar performance and a good time. 

Massachusetts native Charlotte Rose Benjamin opened the show with a sweet and sentimental performance. Both Benjamin and myself observed that the crowd was particularly high-spirited, dancing along to her songs with an energy usually reserved for headliners. I took this as a good omen for Leigh’s set –– one which proved to be correct. 

This time around, Leigh’s all-female band took the stage ahead of her: drummer Grace Goodman, bassist Kaitlyn Gerdau and guitarist/keyboardist Taylor Wafford. Then, to uproarious cheers, Leigh emerged from backstage in a neon green halter top with shimmery silver shorts and matching fishnet tights. At the beginning of her set, she asked the crowd to shout out their names, a request we gleefully obliged. Despite the bigger venue and more elaborate production, it was clear that Leigh’s lovable, down-to-earth personability hadn’t diminished. 

Her setlist included both old and new songs, from her 2021 “Thelma and Louise”–inspired ode to friendship, “Ronnie’s Song,” to “Carrier Pigeon’s” lead single “No Doubt.” About halfway through her set, Leigh’s band left the stage, leaving her alone with her guitar once again. 

“I’m gonna do a few songs alone, for old time’s sake,” she told the audience. As Leigh’s captivating voice washed over the Sinclair, I was once again in awe of her ability to foster beautifully intimate moments. The crowd gently swayed and sang along, many turning to serenade the friends or lovers beside them. 

The audience’s liveliness remained consistent throughout the evening, peaking especially when Leigh’s band returned for the set’s electric conclusion. Prior to “Sheep Song,” Leigh explained that Grace Goodman, the band’s drummer, suggested that what these shows really needed was a mosh pit. Whether or not it was a joke, Leigh agreed, and instructed the crowd to open up a circle pit. As the band launched into song, we flooded the now-vacant section of the floor. I’m not sure if what we did was a mosh pit –– maybe more of a dance pit or jumping up-and-down pit. Regardless, it was a blast, and I certainly danced more than I have at any other indie-folk show.

For the encore, Leigh played “Take Back,” the same song she culminated her set with back in 2023. Before she began to sing, she shared its origins: the song was born from a time when she worked all day and went home to a person who made her feel terrible. Her time, she then realized, should belong to her and nobody else. “We’re going to reclaim that time, right now, together. I want you to scream it!” she urged us. And so we did — chanting the cathartic refrain  –– “I’m gonna take back some of my time, I’m gonna take back some of my time” –– as Leigh sang with a smile I could hear.

While Odie Leigh’s musical stylings have shifted considerably since I saw her in 2023, her concert at the Sinclair proved her elegant growth as an artist. Bearing witness to her trajectory has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and like so many others in the crowd that night, I wait with bated breath to see where she brings us next.

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Norah Catlin, Ivy Buck 

The 75-person choir filed out onto the risers in their rich, purple velvet robes, which the audience would soon learn are a visual reflection of their polished and professional sound. The concert began with the first portion titled, “We Sing of Praise and Supplication.” I was immediately struck by the choir’s uniformity in their pronounced constants and dynamic range all while holding hands and swaying in rhythm. Each section contributed a unique sound: the basses had a round warmth, the tenors a sweet and bright sound, and the altos a rich, resonant depth. As an alto at heart, I typically listen for the inner harmonies, but I was stunned by the sopranos’ ability to land on their high notes with ease and remarkable intonation, never overbearingly or shrilly, but with a supreme blend and dolce resonance. The alto section balanced out the sopranos well, adding warmth to their vibrancy, while the tenors and basses grounded the sound with tenor harmonies and bass pedal notes. The choir tackled suspensions and dissonance effortlessly, proof of their hard work and scrupulous rehearsing.

The second segment, “We Sing of Birth, Peace, and Grace,” included “The Lord is the Everlasting God,” by Kenneth Jennings, which the choir executed perfectly and with great intonation, even despite the crunchy chords and tritones. They followed that with what became my favorite piece of the night, “This House of Peace,” by Ralph M. Johnson. This piece featured oboe soloist Lily Mitzel ’24, who exhibited a clear and beautiful tone with impressive pitch accuracy on such a demanding instrument. The soprano and tenor soloists told the story of the piece brilliantly and commanded the attention of the audience with the soprano’s graceful high register, and the tenor’s rich vibrato. This piece would not be what it was without the contribution of the orchestra, specifically the crisp pizzicato by the violas, cello and bass. The ensemble ended the first half of the program with F. Melius Christiansen’s energetic and hopeful arrangement of “O Day Full of Grace.”

In the second half of the concert, “We Sing of Consolation and Hope” began as brightly as the first half ended, with cheerful choreography and percussion in “Isondo Liyajika” by Sabelo Mthembu. I was astonished by violist Charles Gray in “Before I Go My Way,” during which his precision and passion brought the entire chapel to a stillness, filled with only the steady vibrato of the viola and the gentle entrances from the choir which never overpowered the soloist’s voice. Following this, “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi” reintroduced Lily Mitzel for a duet solo with Phoebe Joy ’24, accompanied by Leif Olsen ’27, who supported both the soloists and choir beautifully. The third segment ended with “For the Sake of our Children,” accompanied by Julian Colville ’25 and student percussionists, during which the tenor section shone with their poignant, strong singing.

The concert’s final song,  “We Sing of Joy, Compassion, and Unity,” was an uplifting conclusion to the night. Armstrong claimed he wants St. Olaf’s music to “transform those who perform and those who will hear the message.” Consisting of a lively spiritual with vivacious choreography, and a piece with a touching message on fading memories, this segment fully achieved  Armstrong’s expressed intention: a message of hope and light in dark times. 

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Norah Catlin and Ivy Buck 

On Friday, Jan. 31, Ollie Gullick & The Lads took to the stage at Cambridge’s Middle East Upstairs venue, delighting the crowd with a rock ‘n’ roll set that was nothing short of electrifying. Prior to the show, I got to speak with frontman Ollie Gullick over Zoom to learn more about the singer, songwriter, music director, guitarist and soon-to-be queer rock heartthrob.

“For me, rock and roll is the authenticity, and always has been,” Gullick said candidly. He cited legends like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin as influences, but his passion for music truly took root at a “musical playtime” he attended as a small child.

“I can’t remember that far back, but my parents told me the woman who ran it had an accordion and I wouldn’t take my eyes off it the whole time.”

Once he was old enough to begin experimenting with musical instruments himself, Gullick took up guitar “because my dad played it, and I wanted to interest girls. But I’m gay now, so that didn’t quite work out.” In terms of growing up queer in less accepting spaces, Gullick professed that “it sucked, but I’m grateful because it gave me a lot to write about.” 

On stage, Gullick’s unabashed queerness is instrumental to his performance. At the Middle East venue, he dedicated three of his opening songs to “a guy who wasn’t as straight as he seemed,” gay sex, and “a twink [he] used to know.” Belting out his lyrics in a powerful, gravelly voice, Gullick danced across the stage and smoldered at the crowd as he fluttered a fan emblazoned with the word “cunt.”

“[Being gay] manifests itself in my performance and the way I write music because I had to hide for so long and now I don’t anymore, so I’m just gonna let it all out.” This explosion of joy and pride was infectious, washing over the crowd as the band performed. 

Born in the UK, Gullick’s family moved to Abu Dhabi when he was 14 years old, where he remained until relocating to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. While he recognizes the uniqueness of his expatriate upbringing, he’s found that “people can find things within [my story] that they can relate to themselves.” 

During the show, Gullick gave a shout out to a friend in the crowd, stating that he almost omitted the upcoming song from the setlist until she convinced him otherwise. The song in question was “The Cross,” which tells a beautifully heartbreaking story featuring some of Gullick’s most poetic lyrics and stunning instrumental solos. This song was one of my favorites of the night, as it highlighted Gullick’s ability to modulate between melancholy softness and powerful intensity in an instant. 

Along with fronting The Lads, Gullick is also music director and guitarist for ZaZa & The Psychedelic Orchestra and Berklee’s Lady Gaga Ensemble. “It’s been tricky, definitely, wearing all these hats. But I find it similar to how I’ve lived in England, Abu Dhabi and Boston –– for a while, it felt like three different people. ZaZa, Gaga and Ollie, myself, kind of felt like three different people going into those rooms. And I think trying to remember ‘no, it’s just me doing different things’ has been really helpful. I approach everything in the same way, emotionally.”

During Friday night’s performance, Psychedelic Orchestra frontwoman ZaZa joined Gullick on stage to perform his song “Turn Around and See.” The performance was a clear crowd favorite, with many friends and fans shouting out the lyrics as Gullick and ZaZa sang while staring each other down with affected rock ‘n’ roll intensity that repeatedly gave way to beaming smiles, their chemistry as friends and collaborators abundantly clear. 

As the band’s set came to a close, Gullick requested that the venue’s PA system be turned off. A hush fell over the crowd as Gullick and the six Lads stepped to the front of the stage to perform an acapella rendition of “Front Room” in a beautiful three-part harmony. Despite the pervasive booming bass audible from the venue downstairs, it was a heartwarming moment, encapsulating the bond shared by the band’s members.

“It was never planned, this thing,” Gullick told me of his collaboration with his bandmates. “I just thought I was gonna be ZaZa’s guitarist, but a lot of the music I wrote was really personal to me … So I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll put together a little group so I can do my own little shows.’ I just wanted to play at [the pub].” When forming the band, Gullick had never even heard his guitarist, Colin Lillich, or his keyboardist, Leo Birkin, play before. Drummer Alex Reeves and saxophone player Andrew Schuler are Gullick’s roommates and fellow Psychedelic Orchestra members. 

During Gullick’s first semester at Berklee, The Lads received a coveted “Caf Show” slot, earning the chance to perform in the school’s dining hall, which becomes a concert venue by night. The band was met with an outpouring of praise, and ended up booking several other gigs and recording sessions with a producer. The band’s lineup is completed by bassist Jack Helfer and a second saxophonist, Cooper Swartzentruber, who joined the band as a stand-in while Schuler was abroad and ended up becoming a permanent member.

After an electric encore, the band bid their farewells and departed from the stage. As I made my way out of the venue, I noticed “SOLD OUT” scrawled in black marker over the show’s flyer at the box office –– surely the first of many for Ollie Gullick & The Lads.

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Norah Catlin and Ivy Buck 

These are all the instruments present in The Rockwell on Oct. 22 as ZaZa & the Psychedelic Orchestra take the stage. The crowd buzzes with excitement as the instrumentalists take their places, all dressed in sharp black suits. Once they’re settled in, they begin to play “The Phantom of the Opera,” setting a brooding and dramatic tone as the audience continues to murmur. But when the band’s frontwoman, Berklee College of Music student and superstar in the making ZaZa emerges from behind a curtain, the room falls silent. She is dressed in a gold and black-feathered masquerade mask and a fringed red robe covering a chic vest and miniskirt, with thigh-high red leather boots and a plethora of accessories. 

She struts up to the microphone as a spotlight falls over her, closes her eyes and begins her rendition of “Feeling Good,” made famous by artists such as Nina Simone and Michael Bublé. She sings the first verse acapella, her breathtaking voice putting the crowd under a trance. As she nears the chorus, there is a palpable tension in the air as the audience waits for the rest of her band to join in. At last, on the final syllable of the chorus, the band comes in all at once, a sonic wave crashing over the venue as goosebumps raise on my arms.

Needless to say, the Psychedelic Orchestra isn’t exactly your average college band. Speaking with ZaZa a few days after the show, I asked what inspired her to put together such an elaborate ensemble of musicians. 

The idea was born backstage at a showcase at a Berklee summer program. She was with her “creative soulmate” and guitarist Ollie Gullick and felt quite “bored” by the endless barrage of five-piece rock bands.

“The idea was to have an orchestra that’s much bigger than me, however, matches the energy that I think I bring on stage,” ZaZa said.“Having a five-piece band didn’t seem like enough, and it didn’t feel like I was doing myself or anybody else justice … I always just loved the idea of a bigger sound.”

 It’s not difficult to gather that “big” is the defining word when it comes to ZaZa & the Psychedelic Orchestra — it emanated from every aspect of their performance, from the physical size of the band to ZaZa’s costume changes and fascinating theatricality. During a musical interlude, ZaZa ran offstage, returning in an elaborate wedding gown and matching parasol. A couple of songs later, she briefly exited the stage during a cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Grace,” returning with her hand in a fist, obscuring its contents. At the song’s climax, she rubbed her hand down her chest, revealing a seemingly endless supply of bright red paint. Continuing to sing, she smeared the ‘blood’ all over the dress and her face with an anguished expression, dropping to her knees as she wailed out the lyrics.

To me, this moment was reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s infamous performance of “Paparazzi” at the 2009 VMAs. When I asked if this was a reference, ZaZa explained that, while she didn’t set out to imitate Gaga, the singer is in fact one of her biggest artistic inspirations.

“I think Lady Gaga was the first person I saw put theater and pop music together, and I was just like ‘wow, that makes so much sense.’ I fell in love with [pop music] because of her, because I saw that you can be a rockstar making pop music.”

The show reached its peak with the aforementioned performance of “Grace.” Speaking of her ‘Carrie’-style bloody breakdown, ZaZa told me “I feel like the whole show up to that point, I’m working up to that last moment. Once I get to Grace it’s like [imitates explosion] … I’m ripping my heart open in front of you, you’ve torn my heart out of my chest and now I have to wipe up my own blood.”

During the performance, ZaZa paused to unpack the theme of the show, “Leo in Mercury.” The title, she told the crowd, draws from her astrological chart.
As she later explained to me, “Oftentimes if you’re a Leo in Mercury, you’ll be very misunderstood by people despite the efforts you make to articulate your feelings.” Her performance, she explained, channeled this cosmic tension — a fusion of fierce passion and the vulnerability that comes with being misinterpreted and, at times, betrayed.

The setlist, combining originals and covers, perfectly encapsulated this concept. After “Feeling Good,” the band launched into two of the summer’s biggest hits: “Von Dutch” by Charli XCX and “HOT TO GO” by Chappell Roan. As ZaZa described it, this portion of the set encapsulated the waves of “carelessness”  and “overconfidence” that can come with betrayal or heartache. Her original song, “Ruining My Heaven” comes next, with the crowd chanting along as she belted out the “dramatically angry” anthem about being cast aside by a friend in favor of “a bum of a guy.”

From somber songs like another ZaZa original “Never Trust an Angel” to upbeat yet emotionally charged tracks like “Escapism.” by 070 Shake and Raye, the set took the audience through a journey of heartbreak and healing. 

The band concluded their set with “From Here,” an original by ZaZa and Gullick. According to ZaZa, the song is about falling out of love and beginning to look at your own heartbreak from a more detached perspective. “I just wanted that vulnerability at the end … After ‘Grace’ I’m covered in blood, my heart is ripped out, there’s nothing to hide behind.”

A few songs into their set, an audience member handed ZaZa a pride flag, which she wrapped around herself as she sang. Prior to the show, the band announced that 10% of ticket sales would be donated to the Fenway Institute, an organization providing healthcare and support to the transgender community in Boston, a decision made in light of recent occurrences of transphobia at their school, Berklee.

“I’ve grown up around gay, queer and trans people my whole life … [Many members of the band] are from the community, so we naturally felt very involved.”

One of the band’s managers, Lily Chopus, came up with the idea to donate a portion of ticket proceeds to charity, and ZaZa chose the Fenway Institute because it specifically services the Boston community, providing not only gender-affirming care but mental health care as well. 

“It was a pretty fast and easy decision to make … We were in a position to be able to do something, so we did it.”

As the band played their final notes and applause reverberated through The Rockwell, it was incredibly clear that this group is destined for great things – each moment of the show felt like a glimpse of a star in the making. This is a band with the talent, vision and ambition to reach far beyond Boston, and I, for one, cannot wait to see what heights they reach.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Anabelle Meyers, Norah Catlin

The show marked the start of their nationwide tour opening for Porches, whose most recent album features vocals from Chloe. sweet93’s music is a dreamy blend of swirling reverb, lullaby-esque melodies and early-90s influences like Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star. 

The day before the show, I sat down with Chloe to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of making the new single. “It transformed, like, three separate times. I’m talking verse, melody, chords – it shape shifted. I found myself just being pulled to this more ethereal space honestly, and just wanting those sounds,” said Chloe.

As its title suggests, the song asks existential questions about reality and the world around you. “I really was just questioning everything– personal truth, universal truths…  I realized I just wanted to ask the questions that I myself have been really wondering lately, and just genuinely what is ‘truth’?”

I wondered whether she felt that writing and recording the song had given her any answers. “Yes and no,” she replied. She explained that the song allowed her to put the questions into music and let that speak for itself. “I’m just trying to describe that feeling – you don’t know what to say, you don’t know how to say it… [writing the song] didn’t give me the answers of life in a bigger way, but it gave me the answers as a songwriter, as an artist.”

Kohanski takes great joy in the artistic process, no matter how long it takes. “I love creating music, writing music. I love those moments where you break through and you finally get that art or that thing or whatever, even if it takes three months – like with my song ‘Be My Best’.” 

She explained that although the lyrics to the song took less than half an hour to write, the process of mixing it took place over the course of two years. Others may have found this frustrating or excessively arduous, but for Chloe, it was an “awesome” experience. 

On the eve of sweet93’s first tour, Chloe expressed her excitement for the upcoming experience. “There is literally nothing like being in a room with people who are there to really experience music and really be a part of a night of a show. It’s communal. There’s an exchange of energy. It feels special. Every time I play, afterwards I’m like ‘This is my destiny.’ This is what I love.”

As sweet93 took the stage at The Sinclair on Oct. 15, Chloe’s passion for performance was evident. Her set had the audience under a trance which held until the end of their final song. Joined by her band, a revolving cast of friends and collaborators, Chloe serenaded the crowd with “what’s true?” and their most popular song “Stars Above,” an ethereally haunting track featuring echoing vocals and bluesy, note-bending guitar. 

sweet93 concluded their set with “You Decide,” a heavier, reverb-drenched tune reminiscent of the golden days of shoegaze. According to Chloe, this song is the band’s favorite to play live. “I hope people feel like they can just like, rock out to it, close their eyes and just feel it,” she said. Indeed, this track appeared to be a crowd favorite, with even the stiffest of flannel-clad men (a demographic stunningly overrepresented in the crowd) gently bopping their heads in appreciation. 

Shortly after their performance, an older gentleman in attendance excitedly emerged from the restroom wearing a brand-new sweet93 t-shirt, his original shirt stuffed into his back pocket. He proudly showed off his look to Chloe at the merch table, who beamed from ear to ear and gave her new fan a big hug. The heartwarming moment perfectly captured the magnetic appeal of sweet93 –– their timeless, nostalgic sound resonates with fans across demographics.

sweet93’s tour with Porches will continue across the United States through the end of November. Whether you’re drawn to moody, atmospheric sounds or just love a great live show, don’t miss your chance to catch them on stage!

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Ivy Buck, Norah Catlin

WNDR curated exhibits “explore themes of introspection, human connection, and emotional well-being,” tackling challenges like mental health and self-reflection. Yayoi Kusama, a contemporary Japanese artist and 2006 recipient of the Praemium Imperiale Award, created the exhibit “Let’s Survive Forever” (2017), which resonated well with the theme of introspection. It showcased a private mirrored room filled with suspended stainless steel mirror balls of various sizes –– appearing to comment on the interconnectedness of all things, like how each dot is a star or a universe, and how we are viewing an infinite amount yet also viewing ourselves at the same time. Kusama has other exhibits on display as well; one in particular utilizes her polka dot motif, inviting guests to leave their mark on colorless surfaces of the showroom with colorful circular stickers. 

Visitors can physically interact with the museum in other ways, too. The ever-expanding “Wisdom Project” wall allows for visitors to write words of wisdom, or even random declarations of love, and post them for future viewers to see. Visitors are also able to get a close-up photograph of their eye taken at the “Iris Exhibit,” which is then projected onto two walls alongside the eyes of past visitors. Cloud mentioned that “Iris” tends to be the exhibit that most visitors linger at; they often gaze in awe at the “unique patterns, colors, and textures in each iris like miniature works of art.” Cloud highlighted how “eyes are not just windows to the world –– they’re windows to creativity,” and hoped that guests feel inspired and curious about the art they made and have seen at WNDR.

I found WDNR’s AI exhibit to be one of the most interesting. The exhibit produces five images from a visitor-generated prompt. I prompted the computer to visualize a mouse and a rat sharing a piece of cheese on a rainy day, and the computer generated five different variations of that scene on nearby television screens. From far away, it looked surreal –– almost like a hyper-realistic painting. However the more I looked at the images, the less perfect they became. There were rats with multiple sets of hands, a mouse and a rat morphed together, and mice with comically large ears. While this exhibit highlights the power of AI to create art, it also crucially displays the imperfections of AI. 

My advice — as long as you go into the WNDR Museum with an open mind, you’ll find an exhibit that speaks to you. The museum is open seven days a week and tickets can be purchased at wndrmuseum.com.

Contact the editors responsible for this story: Ivy Buck, Anabelle Meyers