Here in Atlanta, you get to have a variety of experiences and tonight I decided to go to my first intimate concert. I know intimate concerts as this gig with an independent artist who is taking off their career, some people know intimate concerts as a place to host more charitable events or to host secret events. Overall, intimate concerts are like hidden gems, you just have to be able to find them.
Tonight, I was able to see Kacy Hill, an indie artist with a phenomenal sultry voice. To start off, I know of Kacy Hill when I was about fourteen years old and I would be on Tumblr from sun up to sundown, the usual for those who grew up being Tumblr users. However, as we all know Tumblr has different cultural aspects behind it, I’m talking about the hipster blogs, the galaxy everything era, different themes of everything, and it could be anything, and of course aesthetics. It’s so interesting now seeing how the word aesthetic or vibe has become more prevalent in our language because when I think about younger me, everything had to be an aesthetic because of course, Tumblr was a vibe, good or bad, it just was. Moreover, Kacy Hill was a model for the brand American Apparel, and I remember being such a huge fan of her, Megan Fey, and a few others, and now I am here listening to her music.
It was such an interesting experience when I was waiting to go to the venue at the Masquerade which is super cool, you have three venues in this one area, Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven. I was in the small venue hall known as purgatory and I was surprised to see a small stage and adjacent from it was a bar, and on the opposite wall was the person that handle lighting and tech. If anyone is familiar with concerts or the usual ones, you have seen thousands of chairs that are climbing upwards and a huge stage with a band behind it or dancers; maybe you will see special effects like laser lights, theatrical smoke, some even have fire coming up. But however, this time it was all about the artist.
The first part of the show involved a new artist named, Jonah Mutono; a Ugandan artist who did not disappoint. He had such a powerhouse voice and in between each set he would talk about how and when he wrote songs and made his first album, he was so very humble. I couldn’t believe I didn’t listen to him sooner. After his opening, Kacy Hill finally graced us with her presence. I definitely think this concert was what I expected. After the show, I called my boyfriend telling him how it felt like a healing experience, and at first, he was confused, but there is something different about small intimate concerts. It feels as though you’re listening to an album and two again, but instead of jumping up and down, screaming, and everyone completely losing themselves, we were all losing ourselves within the softness and peaceful ambiance, and swaying to the music.
This was a different experience because she not only had a projector viewing images such as fields of flowers or sunsets as she grooved to her own music but it was all about the vocals and it was like I said, a room full of maybe thirty people listening to something we have a connection to. I mean there were moments when Kacy Hill will tell the audience that she wrote a song because of her anxiety and how it was during the pandemic and in lockdown, and then she would ask if any of us had anxiety and when a few of us in the crowd answered proudly, she would say “sorry.” She was funny to me but very genuine. But, I think moments like that made it so real with us as her audience. She noted that some of her music had to do with some trauma, mental health, and of course love, and wow can I say how great it is to vibe with one of your favorite artists in a small group.
Overall, it was a really nice experience. I think I will definitely try to go to more intimate concerts. It felt nice to sit and listen to live music, have a drink every now and then, but also this was my first time doing something alone at night like this. I think everyone should find secret gigs or small venues like this, even romanticize your life a little bit, put on your best outfit that matches the tone of the art, go alone, go with a friend or a few, or a significant other. More importantly, just be in the moment too because after I told my boyfriend it was a healing experience, he asked, “Did it leave you in the present?” and it was a wonderful question and to answer yes.
As always, stay safe, have fun, and stream Kacy Hills’ newest album Simple, Sweet, and Smiling, and Is It Selfish If We Talk About Me Again from 2020, and please show Jonah Mutono some love.