Photos and article by Adelle Johnson

As I walked in the doors of Welsh-Ryan Arena, I was in awe. The arena, under a misty haze of blue stagelights and body heat, was transformed. The student opener, Kavi Subramanyan, was DJing up on the stage that had been constructed on the court, and I almost forgot this was the same place that hosted heated, impassioned volleyball and basketball matches.

That’s certainly not to say that the energy was lacking; rather, the reality was quite the opposite. From the very moment I stepped into the room, I could feel the buzz and excitement from the students who were already gathered in a crowd to watch A&O Productions’ 2023 Blowout concert. The closer I walked to the stage, the more I could feel the electric anticipation of the crowd as they bounced to Subramanyan’s up-tempo EDM and awaited what was to come.

I was not particularly familiar with the opener’s music nor the headliner’s music prior to Blowout, save for a couple songs I had heard briefly on TikTok. That being said, I came in not really knowing what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying the concert.

Brooklyn native Justine Skye was the first artist to grace the stage as Blowout’s opener. She had a way of singing and interacting with the audience that was captivating. With a sultry music and performance style, coupled with witty quips in between songs, Skye absolutely commanded the stage. It was hard to look away from her, and she was likable in a way that worked even when she occasionally poked fun at us in the audience.

“You guys were more fun than I thought you’d be, thank you,” she said toward the end of her set.

Skye’s voice was unquestionably beautiful, and I found myself marveling at how much her set sounded like a studio album rather than live music. All the elements of her music blended together seamlessly: as Skye’s R&B slid between lively songs to more sensual, serious ones, I noticed how well the two backgrounds singers’ voices consistently melted to complement hers. I also absolutely loved how the drums were not overpowering but added a noticeable, constructive element of dynamics in the background.

The vibe that Skye’s performance cultivated in the crowd was very mellow and intimate for most of the set. Students swayed along to songs including “Build” and her new single, “Whip It Up,” but it was not until she sang one song in particular that the audience really ramped up the energy.

“I don’t know, some of you might’ve heard this next one on TikTok or something,” Skye said to introduce her song, “Collide.” “If you know the words, sing along.”

And sing along, the audience did.

This was peak enthusiasm in Skye’s set: the crowd became rambunctious, cheering in anticipation. The closer to the chorus Skye got, the louder the audience sang in tandem. At this point, the connection Skye had forged with her crowd was palpable, and one audience member even shouted “I LOVE YOU!” as she exited the stage.

From that point on, the audience only became more enthusiastic, riding on the elated musical high that Skye had left them with. Once the stage lights shut off, signaling the arrival of the headlining artist Dayglow, enthusiasm shot through the roof and remained at a maximum.

Lead singer Sloan Struble, followed by the band’s musicians, were lovingly coaxed out onto the stage with an echo of “Dayglow! Dayglow! Dayglow!” From the very moment Struble stepped out on stage, there was a gleeful smile plastered on his face. It was exceedingly apparent to me that he was doing something he loved, which was reflected in every aspect of Dayglow’s set.

Dayglow’s set was a wonderfully bright, high-spirited take on indie pop. The way the band members interacted with each other — whether they were dancing or doing trust-fall-esque guitar duets — was so amusing to watch, and it feltlike you weren’t just watching individual performers, but a team. That brought an additional level of depth and personality to an already incredibly talent-filled and engaging set.

Permeated by a few storytimes and a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, the Dayglow set was varied in a way that kept the audience pleasantly on their toes. The band transitioned skillfully between funky songs like “Medicine” to slower ballads like “Fuzzybrain” (the title track of Struble’s freshman album) and “Crying on the Dancefloor.” They even played a dreamy cover of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, and the guitar player, Colin Crawford, delighted the audience with a quick Nintendo Wii theme song tune. Overall, being in the audience during Dayglow’s set felt like a blur of swinging arms, laughter, and jumping bodies — in short, a dance party right in Welsh-Ryan Arena.

I think it’s safe to say that after Blowout, both Justine Skye and Dayglow have earned themselves at least one new fan (although I reckon it’s a lot more than that). Both artists did such an amazing job of engaging and connecting with the audience in their own unique ways and put on a fantastic show. I also felt so grateful and happy to be able to have this concert experience in this space at Northwestern; Blowout 2023 was well-curated, and it was the perfect place to be that Friday night. Struble put it perfectly in his parting words:

“Northwestern — don’t go south, don’t go any more east. Northwest all the way!”