By Linsey "Z" Gividen
I found myself driving to Omaha on a Sunday night because Marianas Trench, a childhood classic band, would be playing there. I didn't look up the openers because I wasn't sure I'd be interested in them. I figured I'd think they'd sound nice and then forget. That was not the case.
I truly thought after the first act I could have left and gotten my money's worth. PIAO opened the show with a fun hyperpop sound and melodic vocals. I found her vibe charming with her Neopet-inspired knit hat. She danced along vibrantly while she sang happily, and I was charmed by her performance. She commanded stage presence and controlled the crowd immensely well. I thought that she would just be fun and sing danceable tracks. That was until she sang "pagingbubu" and "Haunted by Potential."
PIAO prefaced "pagingbubu" by discussing being raised by a single mother and how she dealt with the passing of her father. She stated that Bubu was the name of her family hamster who also passed away and this was a message to Bubu that she hoped would be relayed to her dad. As someone who lost her dad a little over a year ago, this song hit me very hard. I had a rocky relationship with my dad and I wished I had done things differently. I cried as I listened to the lyrics carefully and connected with her feelings. She encapsulated grief and feelings of loss so well with her gorgeous voice.
"Haunted by Potential" addressed a fear of mine. She said that she strived to be a successful student and believed that things would fall into place after graduating. She would end up graduating amid COVID-19 and felt like nothing made sense. She felt lost and confused. I graduate next spring and I've been grappling with these fears myself. Accompanied by gorgeous piano playing, PIAO spoke to my fears and made me feel seen. I once again found myself crying as I enjoyed her melodic sound.
I turned to my friend at the end of her set and told her I had to go meet her. She had touched my heart in a way I didn't expect that night and I felt the need to compliment her performance. I was a little too scared to thank her for her insightful lyrics. As we walked over to the merch table to meet her, a large line formed to support her. I watched as she sold out her posters and signed every single one. She was so down-to-earth and seemed to truly enjoy her impact. As I stood in line, I met a graduate student who was there to see Cassadee Pope but also felt touched by the music PIAO made. Not only did I find another amazing artist, I met a new friend.
PIAO signed my poster and listened as I stumbled over my words about her impact on my heart. Her talent and kindness had me in awe and I felt humbled by being in her presence. I truly enjoyed the show and felt that I could have left satisfied after just seeing her. I did end up staying for the rest of the show and thoroughly enjoying every piece but nothing touched my heart just as much as her music did. I would highly recommend seeing her live if you have the chance and support her however you can.
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