//EMERY DAVIS//

“All the good comes in waves.”

Quinn XCII’s “From Tour With Love” made a stop in Denver for a sold out show at the Fillmore Auditorium. Quinn XCII (pronounced Quinn 92) said it was the largest show he’s ever played as a headliner. Artists Christian French and Ashe accompanied Quinn XCII on his tour which will be playing a total of 39 shows from Amsterdam to Austin.

The first opener, pop artist Christian French, was somebody whose name I had heard and whose music I love. His music often talks about love or life in general, and pulling from his personal experience and emotions often helps him to write his music. Towards the end of his set before performing one of his last songs, he took a minute to explain to the audience that over the past year he dropped out of college to pursue his music career. The audience cheered and yelled out comments of encouragement and love to French to show their support for him.

Sophomore Haley Elliott, who attended the concert, talked to French after the show and got to take a picture with him. “[When I met him] I was so choked up. ” Elliott said. “I like the way he makes me feel, through his voice and through his words. He makes you relate to him on some level. I think [his lyrics] come from his experiences, his life and what he’s seen.”

However the second opener, Ashe, was nobody I had ever heard of before. When she appeared on stage she had a very striking resemblance to the artist Billie Eilish. Not only do they look similar but in a way, their mannerisms are incredibly similar too. I didn’t know what to expect from her music, but when she started her set, I instantly fell in love. She had incredible vocal range and knew how to get a crowd energized and moving.

Not only were her songs upbeat and adrenaline-packed but a few were slow and soulful. The piece that really spoke to me the most was her latest single “Moral of the Story.” Before performing the song she explained that she recently went through a divorce. The song goes on to say, “Some people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes.” As a teenager I feel that this is an incredibly relatable lyric that many people could definitely feel in their hearts. After the show I even had the opportunity to meet and talk with her. While she signed my poster we had a short conversation about the show and her music career.

If they were to come through town again on their own tours, I would definitely see either Christian French or Ashe in concert. They both have a very unique sound yet words that can speak volume to almost anybody listening. However, even if you can’t relate to any of their lyrics, the songs were still very catchy and easy to vibe with and dance to.

After all the waiting the attendees had been doing, we knew the time had finally come to enjoy Quinn XCII’s set. The black screen setup on stage was suddenly lit with a yellow timer counting down from four minutes. Once the timer was up the beginning of Quinn’s song “Sad Still” began playing while he softly sang from behind the stage. However once the rap verse of the song began, flashing lights illuminated the faces of the audience.

Every Quinn XCII song is unique and different though most of them have a very similar, almost “bubbly”, sound to them. Not only is his music lively and uplifting, but the way he performs is amazing. He loves talking to the audience and he makes everybody feel appreciated. After almost every song, he thanked Denver for showing him so much love. Most artists thank the audience too but what really sets him apart from other artists is his passion for inclusion. Throughout the entire show he talked to the crowd and encouraged us to let loose and dance.

Most Quinn fans could agree that his lyrics definitely come from the heart and mean a lot to him. Lyrics that come from the deepest wells and crevices of the mind or heart are always the best in my opinion.  Finding words to express your feelings and thoughts is always a great thing after you didn’t know how to explain how you felt for so long. It’s incredible what music could do for someone.

Since the artists playing mainly have very energetic and upbeat songs, the audience was pretty rowdy. Throughout the entire show the audience danced as a collective group and really connected with the performers. Even through the slow emotional songs the audience still slowly danced and held flashlights to the stage to create beautiful moments between the singer and listeners.  All three artists were super inclusive of the audience and not only performed, but spoke to us as something more than fans; but as friends.

Though I liked Quinn XCII and Christian French before the concert, leaving the venue I had a whole new view on them. I’ve started listening to more of their music and I’ve especially started listening to Ashe’s music. The audience around me had fantastic energy which is always appreciated at concerts. Even though there  Fillmore Auditorium is a rather large venue, holding up to 3,900 people, it still felt like an intimate setting due to the show being sold out and very packed. Overall it was a fantastic concert, definitely landing in my top five favorite concerts of all time.