A consistent trend that I’ve noticed with concerts is that usually there’s the main artist and then one or two subpar openers. I’m usually one of those concert-goers that goes for the main event and the main event only but, this concert was completely different from every concert before--each act was just as good as the one before. At The Chop Shop on a cold and surprisingly snowy night in April, three incredible acts shared the stage: NoMBe, Mansionair, and Mikky Ekko.

At promptly 6:45 at The Chop Shop, NoMBe took the stage and instantly the entire atmosphere in the venue changed and everything became instantly electric--Noah McBeth danced throughout the whole stage and, as if contagious, the entire audience followed. Each song that NoMBe performed was energetic yet still had a laid-back ease soaring through his poetic and personal lyrics. NoMBe has found this perfect balance between laid back chill music and energetic dance music where his lyrics take center stage. Songs like “Sex”, “Jump Right In”, and “Drama” are perfect examples of how the balance between an energetic beat and lyricism. “Sex” in particular, has lyrics so meaningful and full of passion that they could stand alone as poetry. NoMBe’s talent is everything and anything artistic--he has a stellar performance that hooks the audience as soon as he walks on stage paired with songs that are not just lyrically driven but also rhythmically. It was clear through his soulful lyrics and performance, that NoMBe was genuinely happy to be performing and completely and totally passionate about everything he was doing.

The act that following NoMBe was the alternative trio Mansionair from Australia. Mansionair immediately manipulated the atmosphere with their incredible blend of smooth falsetto vocals from lead singer Jack Froggart, guitar and synths from Lachlan Bostock, and drums from Alex Nicholls. Mansionair was able to capture a variety of emotions ranging from pure bliss to loneliness in songs such as the smooth yet upbeat “Astronaut” and emotional “Easier” respectively; each song is driven by both poignant lyrics and a beat that you can’t help but to move to. Mansionair was incredibly entrancing to watch, especially Bostock working with the ambient sounding synth board. The sounds of the synth provided an entrancing juxtaposition to the delicate lyricism of Froggart’s vocals--making each of their songs unique in today's music scene.

Mikky Ekko, arguably the most well known out of the trio line-up, was last to take the stage. Before walking on with his band, you could hear them all amping eachother up before going on which--without them even knowing--set a genuine and electric vibe for the remainder of the concerted. Clad in all black from head to toe, Mikky Ekko gave off a cool vibe of being laid back while still maintaining a connection with the audience by telling stories of childhood memories in Chicago and referring to the concert as “all about you [the audience] and me”. He had a perfect mix of songs from his new EP entitled Advanced Copy EP and songs that he referred to as “old, old, old”. “What’s It Like Now” from the new EP set off a thrilled reaction upon the opening chords being played and everyone in the crowd immediately launched into a collective dance. When the older song “Pull Me Down” was played, long-time fans such as myself were taken back to Mikky Ekko’s old sound and poetic lyricism. As if he expected the well received reaction to his older and more well known material, Ekko finished off with “Stay”--the critically acclaimed song that he sang with Rihanna in 2014. As if he couldn’t get any closer to the audience, Ekko stepped off the stage and submerged himself into the audience as he sang “Stay” where, in my opinion, his vocal talent and range was truly highlighted. After climbing the stairs to the upper level of The Chop Shop, Mikky Ekko finished the emotionally driven “Stay” and before leaving left the audience with this: “Love me or hate me, I just don’t want you to forget me”.

The entire show, I was in awe of the talent and artistic ability of each artist. Each of the three artists was completely spectacular in their own right. If you asked, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which performance was my favorite because each one had an incredible performance of already incredible songs. Each artist left me with the desire to stay longer, to hear more, and I can honestly say that already I’m looking for each artist’s next show date.