Friday was a bit of a frantic day for me but I couldn’t tell you why. I was stressed and exhausted and just could never get caught up on work or anything else. I needed a moment to catch my breath and just get lost in my own head and that’s exactly what I got from the show at The 7th Street Entry on Friday night.
Babebee (pronounced “Baby”– it’s a Kirby reference for anyone who knows anything about Kirby) was the sole opener to the show. As they and their drummer, Mitchell, took the stage, I honestly wasn’t expecting much. Babebee came off as very shy and almost timid with the way they approached the microphone but then they started into their music and I was absolutely floored. The amount of power that I got from this soloist was amazing but it wasn’t power in the standard set. Other than a couple of moments when they spent parts of tracks jumping up and down, and moments when Mitchell would make some funny faces, there wasn’t much going on on the intimate stage yet I had my eyes glued to the stage as if to not miss anything.
That’s the magic of Babebee. They are truly captivating without even trying. Their vocals are angelic and airy but something about their sound is ready for the mainstream. Overall, the style of Babebee is very bedroom pop and almost lo-fi at moments but there are other songs and times throughout their set where I was getting an almost hyperpop feeling from the music. Although it was all a lot calmer than what I typically go for, I loved it and found myself anxiously awaiting the next song, and the next song, and the next, okay, you get it. When their set was over and done, I was left wanting so much more and, although that happens a lot at shows that are a bit more up my alley, I was confused as to why it was happening with Babebee. The truth is, I hear star power with them. They have a unique sound, a beautiful voice, and an energy that is absolutely addicting. They have a new EP coming out in November and I truly can not wait to hear it.
Miya’s sound, like that of Babebee, is definitely a bit more chill than what I typically go for but it’s her performance that had me picking this show over all others on Friday night. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something absolutely gorgeous about Miya’s just overall being but I like the harsh edge that is hidden under the organic movements and stunning vocals. Within the second song, “Cockroach”, Miya dropped the line, “I’m a f&*@ing cockroach and you can’t kill me”. I find something ridiculously raw and honest about that line but also something that makes Miya stand out from all of the other amazing vocalists out there. There’s just this unapologetic edge about her that comes through here and there creating a set full of moments that don’t quite fit in the typical sense yet work perfectly for Miya.
Much like Babebee’s style, Miya’s style was a bit all over the place from singer-songwriter vibes to more indie-pop jams. Regardless of the style, Miya’s band somehow stole the spotlight while staying in the background. I feel like there is such a strong force around Miya that it’s hard to turn away from her but, at the same time, her band held it down the entire fourteen song set like pros. They knew when to let Miya have the spotlight and knew when to give her a break (although she didn’t need many). There was just such a flawless connection between all of the band members that remained unspoken yet caught my eye. It’s one of those things that’s hard to put into words yet had me even more captivated than just the music alone.
