Zella Day with The Palms

Quartyard

Friday, July 29

The night began like most concerts. Lining up outside the venue hours before the concert because there is no other option than to be front row. Once inside, the waiting still continued.

The Quartyard, located in downtown San Diego, isn't the biggest of venues. It's most likely reserved for indie artists. When concerts weren't happening, it was more of a nighttime hang out with a dog park connected to it. Overall, it seemed like a good place for an event like this, helping my dreams of being as close as I can to the headliner.

Since Zella Day was the headliner, she would be gracing the stage much later. As most concerts do, there was an opener. The band to take the stage was called "The Palms."

I'll be honest, coming into this, I had no idea who these guys were. That wasn't an issue. Most of the concerts I attend have opening acts that I'm not too acquainted with.

With that being said, I kinda wish I did know them before. They were good. I wouldn't be able to tell you most of the songs on their setlist but regardless, they were pretty enjoyable.

The Palms music can be described as a bit of everything. There are many alternative rock influences along with pop melodies and even some reggae for a little bit.

I remember they had a song titled "Stupid L.A. Love Song" and that one seemed like a definite hit. I completely advise you to check them out.

After the boys exited the stage, the waiting game commenced once again. The crowd was starting to fill up and we all grew anxious.

About 20 minutes later, the lights dimmed and the main event had arrived. The crowd went crazy as the 21-year-old emerged.

One of my favorite parts about seeing an artist live is speculating which track they will open with. I was pleasantly surprised when Zella Day began singing "High," which is one of my top songs from her 2015 release "Kicker."

The best thing about this concert, in particular, is the incredible way Day and her band brought the songs from the studio to the stage. It honestly sounded even better than the album. Don't get me wrong, the album is still great and I encourage you to listen.

After "High," Day actually launched into a new song. It was just as fun and upbeat as the rest of the numbers and I believe it was called "Tigre."

Since we are on the topic of new songs, Day played another new song and even though the first one was great, this one was simply fantastic. It was titled "Man On The Moon" and it has the potential to become her biggest song ever. Everyone in the crowd would agree.

Along with the new songs, she performed some covers, including the Fleetwood Mac classic "Rhiannon" and The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."

As for the rest of the setlist, Day managed to perform every single song from her album. When it came to my personal favorite "1965," the crowd was noticeably getting more and more emotional, me included. That was another skill Day had, connecting with the audience, especially through her lyrics.

Near the end of her set, the more well-known hits filled our ears. There wasn't a single person that didn't know the lyrics to "Hypnotic" and when closing number "Mustang Kids" came around, the entire crowd was more energetic than before.

There was never a dull moment at the Zella Day concert. She managed to keep the momentum going even through the slow numbers that still touched our hearts.

I highly urge you to listen to Zella Day. If you get the chance, see her live. She has a handful of shows left this year and you can expect some new music from her this fall.