A Frighteningly Spectacular Night At WECB Live!

By Everly Orfanedes // Photos by Julia Norkus

The first moments of the WECB live show stopped the crowd in their tracks, and shifted eyes and ears directly to the stage in a matter of seconds. Dawson Green (he/him) took the stage with force and fire Thursday night, October 20th, at the Student Performance Center, performing covers and original rap songs. He is a freshman Media Arts major at Emerson, as well as an aspiring rapper. His stage presence was confident and bursting with frightening energy that at first took the audience aback. However, about a song in, the crowd erupted with dancing and cheers, and eventually the energy of the artist and the audience blended together into one. Green’s shoes barely touched the ground between all the jumping and dancing, he was practically flying across the stage every moment of the performance. If you were attending the show and were in need of a cool shower, don’t worry, Green came prepared with a gatorade water bottle which he squirted the audience with a multitude of times. The audience was absolutely thriving off of his flamboyant, uncontrollable energy, and eventually a mosh pit began pooling in front of the stage, which Green even joined in with. 

Green first started writing lyrics all the way back in third grade, and he has only been moving forward since. In 2020, he released his first album, Sooner Than Later, and he is currently working on his first EP. Those who loved his performance on Thursday night will definitely want to keep their eye out for new music coming soon.
Next to take the stage was the R&B singer-songwriter “Baby Face”. Vritika Thadhani (she/her)put on the performance of a lifetime as the second act of the night. She owned the entire room for the whole of her roughly 30 minute set, and created lasting fans and followers throughout the experience. She did not limit herself to the stage, and instead spent most of her set interacting with the audience in the crowd, making eye contact and singing directly to audience members, as well as smiling, dancing, talking with the crowd, and creating a calm, special environment that I have only seen few other performers create live. It felt as if we were all getting a glimpse into her songwriting process through the stories she told between songs. Above all, Thadhani’s voice was the showstopper. 

As a sophomore at Emerson, she sings and performs like an artist who has been taking on the stage for many years. It is hard to deny that Thadhani’s career is ready for takeoff, and we were so fortunate to witness the early blossoms. I spoke with Thadhani before her set, and asked her a bit about her goals regarding the music she makes. We can expect new music very soon on streaming platforms. She told me her biggest purpose when making music is to, “make people feel what I feel,” and I can confidently say, she did just that.

Somerville based indie rock band Otis Shanty closed out the show, and along with that made a lasting impact on the Emerson community. The band, made up of members Ryan (he/him) guitar, Jono (he/him) guitar, Brian (he/him) drums, Julian (he/him) bass, and Sadye (she/her) keys and vocals, rocked the stage with an assortment of original songs from their discography. The synchronization of the band, as well as the strong musical chemistry and friendship between the band members made for a mesmerizing performance. It was very impressive to watch how they were able to maintain a steady calm, cool, and collected vibe while playing challenging progressions and solos, as well as dancing and engaging with the audience. 

The band formed a couple years ago during their time at Hamilton College in New York, and they have been on a roll making music ever since. During the show, each member was able to display their skills, with drum breaks by Brian and a bass solo by Julian. The crowd was obsessed, and their adoration showed after the set as well. Once the show was done, audience members came rushing towards the band to congratulate them on a great set, ask them questions, and even get a photo with them! 

WECB live shows continue to be a perfect opportunity to display local talent within the community, both in the Emerson and the Boston area. Thank you to all the talented musicians that performed Thursday night, and readers, be on the lookout for new music from these artists.