Author: Anniyah Fitzhugh
On November 3, I attended a concert alone for the first time. Crazy, right? But it ended up being one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had. Although I arrived by myself, I felt completely surrounded by the community from the moment I walked into the Moore Theatre in downtown Seattle. The night featured Leith Ross with two incredible openers: Noa Jamir and Annika Bennit. Each opener performed for about thirty minutes, and I honestly just want to express how amazing they were.
Noa Jamir, in particular, captured my full attention. Her voice is insanely captivating. Each song had its own musical identity, yet I quickly got a sense of her style, and I loved it. Her vocals were stunning and her melodies felt like they came from another world. Two songs stood out to me the most: “Indebted” and “Subside.” “Subside,” especially, completely blew me away. The outro begins on a lower note and climbs step by step until she reaches an incredibly high note that she holds with so much control. The buildup felt unreal. The second the song ended, I immediately pulled out my phone to find her on social media. I can feel it in my bones that she is going to blow up. Between her production and her thoughtful lyrics, she is an artist who will resonate with so many people.
Experiences like this are why I believe openers at concerts are not only important but necessary. Yes, we have social media, but without live shows, how else would we discover rising artists like Noa? Now more then ever, our attention spans can be so short, a quick fifteen-second clip of “Subside” on Instagram or TikTok would not have hit me the same way it did in that concert hall. Sitting there, fully present, gave the music the attention and care it deserved. It also made me appreciate Leith even more for giving these artists a platform.
The concert was fully seated, which added an unexpected intimacy to the entire night. Everyone knew the songs, but the audience sang quietly and left space for Leith’s voice to shine. Leith sounded exactly like the record. Their voice was clear, warm, and soothing from the very first note. One moment that left me stunned was during “Terrified,” which is one of my favorite tracks from the newest record.
Before performing it, Ross explained that they usually perform with their guitar because it feels like a safety net. “It’s something I’m normally terrified of doing,” Ross said as they set the guitar aside to sing with only a microphone. The vulnerability in that choice felt deeply connected to the meaning of the song. When Ross reached the high note at the end, it was so clean and powerful that I just sat there in awe.
I also want to highlight how much Leith and their team value community. Leading up to the concert, I noticed how vocal Ross has been about social issues and how intentionally they try to create community through their art. At every tour stop, they spotlight a local organization and weave it into the show. In Seattle, Ross highlighted the Black Farmers Collective and encouraged the audience to support them by donating, volunteering, or helping spread the word
Right after this, they transitioned into “I Love Watching You Eat Dinner.” The connection brought out a few small giggles from the audience, but Ross explained the deeper meaning behind it. Sometimes we forget that food is a basic necessity and also a way we keep each other alive. Ross talked about how special it is to watch someone you love eat food you made for them, because in a very real sense you are giving them life. I had never thought about it in that way before.
Midway through the show, Ross shared that they were going to do something they had not let themselves do often on this tour, which was play a cover. They performed “A Tender Lie” by Dolly Parton with only their guitar. The lyrics were beautiful, and one line in particular stayed with me:
“Say you’re gonna come back to me, and I’ll believe it’s true.
How much more damage now honestly could one tender lie do.”
Leith ended the set with “You on My Arm.” Before starting the song, Ross encouraged the audience to stand, move around, and sing along.
“It’s for gay people!” Ross said, and the entire theatre erupted into cheers.
The energy in the room shifted instantly. People who had been sitting quietly for most of the show jumped to their feet, and a wave of joyful movement spread through the crowd. There was laughing, dancing, and singing that filled the entire space. The song created a moment of pure celebration, and you could feel just how much the audience appreciated being invited into it.
To close out the night, Ross performed “We Will Never Have Sex.” It is one of their most popular songs, and you could absolutely tell. The second they started the first few notes, the crowd burst into recognition, and almost every single person began singing along. It was one of those rare concert moments where the artist and the audience feel perfectly in sync. Ross’s voice blended with hundreds of others, but instead of overshadowing them, it felt like everyone was sharing the song together. It was intimate and loud at the same time, and it was the perfect way to end a night already so full of connection.
As I walked out of the Moore Theatre, I kept thinking about how Leith sings,
“My bread is your bread, and my water’s your water… ’cause I cannot be human alone.”
That night felt exactly like that, hundreds of strangers sharing something real, something human, something we couldn’t have created alone. It was a reminder that music forms community in the purest way, and I left feeling a little less alone.
Anniyah Fitzhugh | Music Reporter