Interactive Canvas @ The Pop Hop: A Vibrant Showcase at an Eclectic Bookstore

Note: pictured — my cute af friends who came through to support me. Toby, Rossi, Aniqa, Vlad, Akeem, Mateo — love y’all ❤

The third show I played this summer arrived as an invitation from a fellow musician I’ve known for years, — maybe 8 years now? — Jen. I played some of my earliest shows around Jen, and have supported her at some of her past shows as well — she’s a talented pianist. So, when she updated me about Interactive Canvas, a showcase series she started with her friend Morph, and invited me to play at one of their upcoming events, it was basically a no brainer.

After confirming I would be in town, I just requested to play first since I had a second music event that night (which, I ended up skipping since I had so much fun at the Pop Hop with my friends who had shown up to see me perform and enjoy the showcase).

Choosing my set was easy for this one. Since I had only performed Jawline and Honey + M once live before (at Amader), I wanted to do these two again since I sense I’ll be playing them out much more in the coming years. They’re also such unique, ethereal songs that capture my vocals perfectly; I wanted to honor the growth I’ve experienced over the years in my vocal production through them.

The night of the show arrived, and I felt more grounded since it was round three for shows this summer. I picked up my friend Aniqa and we went to the venue with my synth in tow (god I love my synth but it’s heavy AF). When I was called up, I felt the typical rush of nerves pass through me, but also elation — it was another gig in a beautiful space! And, it felt extra good this time, my confidence boosted by the two past successful shows despite the fact I needed to play my synth at the Pop Hop minimally to give my vocals the room and power they deserve.

One of the best parts was meeting other artists and creatives afterward, as usual. I even met another few Desi artists, including one Bengali librarian called Naz. Every time I enter a new space, I really am blown away by the huge (yet feels small at the same time, bet you’ve heard that before if you live out here) community that exists in LA. That night showed me, yet again, that LA’s undercurrent scene will continue to be full of hidden gems (IYKYK) but I’m okay with that.