Livin’ Live show

Last weekend on June 8th, was the first Livin’ Live Teen show case. Along with a conference for teens to ask panelists questions about the music industry.

The five panelists included Seth Dodson, production director for Chicago’s music festival Pitchfork. Mike Boyd, director of publicity for Thrill Jockey. Mike LeMaistre, talent buyer at Jam Productions. Libby Pederson from My Mantra Marketing. Meagan Panici, WZRD Radio Host and Panici Promotions.

After the conference began the show featuring Happy Accidents, Mass, Samadhi Commuter, Kdrippie, and Monarchy Over Monday.

(Photo taken from @teenmusiccon)

After the conference began the show featuring Happy Accidents, Mass, Samadhi Commuter, Kdrippie, and Monarchy Over Monday.

Happy Accidents started the show off with their jazzy vibes. One thing that stood out for me was that the guitarist, bassist and keyboardist, each sang a song. The songs consisted of a mix of originals and covers.

The second set was Mass. Once again their set was a combination of originals and covers. They did a cover of the iconic Billie Eilish. I can’t pinpoint why, but their sound reminded me of a band called Never Shout Never. Something that stood out in their set was that each person wasn’t assigned to one instrument. They rotated around which was interesting to see.

Samadhi Commuter was the third act. He couldn’t describe what genre he is but he did say, “Your stereotypical wannabe spacy artsy indie kid type music.”

It just so happened to be his first show. While he was nervous, he did a great job. The eye contact to his audience made a connection. Definitely kept me engaged. Most of his songs were covers, but he did sing an original.

“It was weird sharing music I wrote because usually I’m pretty closed off about what I write but it was good and it made me less worried about sharing me art,” says Gage, vocalist/guitarist in Samadhi Commuter.

Kdrippie was the only group performing rap. At the beginning of their set, it was mentioned how they only use their voices. I noticed how they were playing beats from their phone through an aux cord. It made it authentic, very DIY. They were involving the audience by telling them to raise their hands. The small interactions made the set intriguing.

The headliner of the day, Monarchy Over Monday, brought in their rock sound and fantastic energy. They sang songs from their album ‘I’ll Talk To You.’ Sadly, there wasn’t enough people for me to start a mosh pit.

“The show went great!. Decent crowd, and lots of good music. We were so lucky to have different representatives from several music companies there,” mentions Jose, drummer from Monarchy Over Monday

While this was the first Livin’ Live Show, I doubt it’ll be the last. The audience consisted of family and close friends. This show was different than what I normally go to. I’m glad I got this experience though. It gave me a chance to step out of my comfort zone.

A little tip for all the artists who  performed. Always engage with your audience. You want to be remembered. You don’t want them to space out. Also, stay for all the sets. It may not be your favorite genre but out of respect, stay. It’s nice to see other artists supporting their fellow artists and who knows, it may open opportunities to play with them again.

1 thought on “Livin’ Live show”

  1. This is a great article. Thanks so much for coming and covering this event. Good luck in the future and keep writing. The world needs more music journalists!!!

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