Tag Archives: country music

[EXTRA CREDIT] Excellent Experience at Opening Night Party at KCPA

Written by Nicole Miao

Before I went to the Opening Night Party at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, I had never imagined that this party would be so grand, and I didn’t expect so many viewers to arrive there early. Just on the terrace outside KCPA, there were many people gathered. It was about 5:20 p.m. when I arrived, and the band have already started auditioning, while the food stalls on both sides of the terrace were ready for business. When I entered KCPA, I was amazed by the arrangement inside. The whole hall was equipped with many small round tables and high stools for people to chat and drink. The blue-violet lights created a perfect party atmosphere that was very different from the outside scene.

A face painting inside KCPA

Around 5:45 p.m., several people outside were lined up in front of the food stalls, and people on the terraces were constantly going up steps and sitting. Several stages in KCPA have been basically prepared, and some interesting activities stalls have begun to publicize. I saw several passing children with delicate oil painting on their faces, which was extremely characteristic.

Toko Telo performing outside KCPA

At 6 p.m. in the evening, Opening Night Party officially began. I bought a BBQ chicken burger from the food stall outside, and sat on the terrace steps to start watching Toko Telo‘s performance. There were two musicians playing guitar on her side, and Toko Telo had a tambourine and another instrument that I didn’t know the name. When she was singing, she beat the tambourine and shaked the other instrument to create a sound of rustle. She sang folk music and I could feel some elements of Indian songs. Toko Telo‘s singing was full of rhythm, and to my surprise, her treble was very good. I wrongly thought that her voice was more suitable for low-pitched songs at first. Every time when she finished a song, I couldn’t help but applaud with the crowd.

Andy Baylor singing his compositions

After a while I went back to KCPA to see other performers. I watched Andy Baylor‘s solo and Bombino‘s performance. The former’s songs were country music and the style was lyrical, while the latter’s songs were more lively and had more national characteristics. Bombino‘s performance caused the audience to cheer and almost became the focus at that moment.

Bombino’s performance

It was a nostalgic departure when I must say goodbye to Opening Night Party. It let me enjoyed the music from different regions and I was very grateful to FAA 110 for offering me such a wonderful experience that I’ve never had before.