The Light of Spring: A Review of Noname’s Performance at Foellinger Auditorium

    Noname’s set at Foellinger last Friday, began with DJ’ing from Urbana’s upcoming artist Faraje Aduwo, otherwise known as Jus Wav. He kept the crowd warm and enthusiastic until and long after the arrival of another local rising star, CJ Run. CJ Run has everything you look for in an opening act: energy, style, and an underrated surplus of talent. They know how to appeal to an audience, engaging the majority of the crowd in reciting lyric-based chants every other song. One song asked that we shout “Amen, amen.” While I don’t attend church regularly, if a church could make me feel as I did during that song, I’d consider going on Sundays.

  “You say got a boyfriend/ But I don’t give a damn about your boyfriend/ You say you want a best friend/ Well I’m not really tryna be your best friend/ I’m just tryna get into your bed and/ Make you feel a lot better than the next man.”

    That’s the chorus from CJ Run’s track “Spaghetti” off of their recent album ForgetMeNot. This song highlights the unapologetic, witty, and honest nature of CJ’s personality as an artist remarkably well.

     

    It was now time for Noname to bless the stage. Noname’s band came out first and played her in with style and grace. The keyboardist’s background vocals were especially smooth and inviting, I noticed them clearly in every song. Noname came out onto the stage with a sway and a smile. She greets the crowd with the type of warmth you’d expect to hear from your childhood best friend upon reuniting. Noname’s first song “All I Need” gave the crowd a taste of what they were in store for: poignant lyrics, ecstatic flow, and a great night.

    The band’s swingin’ bass lines and perfectly timed hits of the Hi-Hat made for an amazing dynamic to be fostered between Noname and the beat. At times Noname would lay off the microphone and let solely her band take the wheel, driving minutes of a song into an explosion of emotion. Right when you think the song’s going to climax off of instrumental, Noname’s voice shines through the speakers adding a sucker punch to the musical barrage. Noname bombarded the crowd with nostalgia, performing her verses off of old hits such as “Lost” by Chance and “Comfortable” by Mick Jenkins with timeless finesse. 

“Damn, that got dark so fast that was crazy. Don’t worry we have two happy songs next, kind of.” — Noname after performing “Casket Pretty”

    The last song prior to the encore Noname performed was “Yesterday” my personal favorite. Noname extended the control she showed over her band to the crowd, conducting us to sing the song’s chorus at first loudly, then quietly, and finally what I’d like to describe as warmly.

    I hadn’t experienced a night filled with so many genuine smiles from a celebrity figure in a long time. Not many performances can parallel what Noname’s stunning concert last Friday achieved in terms of atmospheric intimacy and positivity, but if I had to pick one performance that paralleled it, it would be Chance The Rapper’s performance at Lollapalooza in 2014. This similarity shouldn’t be surprising, as the two have been counterparts of sorts working together off and on since their friendship which started during their time together in the  YOUMedia project.

    After Friday’s performance, there’s no doubt in my mind that Noname has cemented her power and style as an artist who can shine independently in the limelight. Noname took Foellinger Auditorium by storm and left a rainbow in her wake.