Author and Photographer: Sophie Gonzalez
A classic perfect day in the PNW ending with an amazing show. Indie star Nep headed back to the stage with her band and made two stops in the Pacific Northwest, in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. On this month-long tour, she has been performing her newest hits from her album Noelle and even classics like “Marmalade,” the first-ever song she put out on streaming services.
All Photo Credits: Sophia Gonzalez
Inside the Portland show, fans of all ages packed the room. From kids to adults, everyone was there to enjoy the amazing live music.
Opening the show was June Henry. Warming up the crowd with beautiful lyricism, a classic Midwest-emo guitar vibe, and cracking jokes left and right, the crowd was jolted awake and left appreciating soul-piercing lyricism about discovering your identity, hearing about the realities of being trans, and more.
Nep came on stage after June Henry and opened up the set with “Dayton,” a song off the new record about her complicated relationship with her hometown, Daytona Beach, Florida. That is something I noticed that both Nep and June Henry have in common. June has a song about their hometown in Kansas and how they were scared of being trapped there. Now on tour and constantly out of their home state, they stated that they find themselves longing for Kansas and back home. A feeling that is very applicable to Nep’s relationship with Daytona and most out-of-state college students. A theme from that night is that there really is no place like home, no matter what home is.
Throughout the show, the energy was through the roof, as there were high-energy songs like “Fender” and songs where there was not a dry face in the audience, as everyone was collectively crying to “I Will Always Love You Alright.”
The night ended with a classic Nep fan anthem, “A Big Brown Dog Named Bagel.” A bossa nova jazzy vibe was accompanied by a fan project that lit the crowd up as they held different colored papers to their flashlights.
After the show, Nep met with fans at the merch booth and gave everyone a personal meet-and-greet experience, speaking to her true and honest appreciation she has for her fans. Everyone left the Holocene with a huge smile on their face and the warm, fuzzy feeling that seeing live art has on people.
Sophie Gonzalez | Music and Arts Reporter