The members of MICHELLE: D’Angelo, Kaufman, Kilgore, Ku, Lee and Lockard. PHOTO BY Daniel Dorsa.
On Thursday, Sept. 9th, at 8:00 p.m. in Fillius Events Barn, the band MICHELLE performed many of their songs, including a few unreleased ones. CAB distributed stickers and pins at the door starting at 7:00 p.m., giving students an incentive to arrive early.
Students walked in to find tables and chairs facing the stage, where they waited for the band. Once the band arrived, they set up the stage and introduced themselves, interacting with the crowd for a few minutes. Once the first song started, students rushed from their seats to dance and sway to the music. The vocalists danced freely as they sang, occasionally moving in sync and handing the mic to the guitarist. In between each number, a singer engaged with the crowd and asked questions. When it was her turn, one of the vocalists explained that she had nothing to say even though she had all day to prepare something. Finally, she asked what the audience had for dinner. Everyone was silent, until Graham Stuard ’24 screamed, “Pizza!”
Campus Activities Board (CAB) frequently presents concerts for students. Photo by Hamilton CAB.
MICHELLE consists of six 21-year-olds: Sofia D’Angelo, Julian Kaufman, Charlie Kilgore, Layla Ku, Emma Lee and Jamee Lockard. They are all from New York City, specifically Manhattan and Brooklyn, a fact that is prevalent in their song lyrics.
D’Angelo went to an all-girls school in NYC, where her guitar teacher helped her enter the music scene and introduced her to other musical students in a Battle of the Bands concert room. In an interview, Kaufman and Kilgore said that their music taps into a 90s NYC vibe, adding that their keyboard sounds like the city. The members’ shared background unites them, helping them connect on shared experiences.
In 2018, MICHELLE released their first album, “Heatwave.” Soon after, they signed with the labels Canvasback and Transgressive Records, sharing their indie-pop music with a greater audience. They performed “Sunrise,” “Unbound,” “The Bottom” and “FYO,” among others.
“The Bottom” had an upbeat melody that energized the crowd, while “Sunrise” produced a calm, swaying effect. They wrote “Sunrise” in the winter of 2019 when Kaufman and Kilgore came up with a short instrumental section.
When MICHELLE finished playing, they handed out setlists and students swarmed the stage to take one and meet the members. Finally, the six young musicians wished the audience a good semester and hit the road. MICHELLE is about to go on tour, so Hamilton College was their trial audience, a role that the students were happy to fill.