Given the opportunity to see Samia perform, one should always take it.

As the night light came to a dim in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, we made our way into First Avenue to the sounds of local musician Ava Levy serenading the early arrivers. Being joined on stage for a song by other opener, Raffaella, they danced around the stage, pretending to break into a fight and then giggling as the other departed. Though a shorter set, Ava put a heavy energy into those beginning moments of the show, allowing people to take a deep breath in and really settle into what they were about to experience.

Raffaella danced around the stage, peeking onto her tip-toes and spreading ankles wide into an impressive split as she sang songs from her EP's Live, Raff, Love act 1 & 2. She played a few unreleased songs to the crowd, teasing a harsher rock sound for her next release, and gushed to the crowd as if we were all simply girls at a sleepover, asking us to swear for her, laughing through a stumble, and wishing luck to her dearest friend, Samia, when she was due to depart.

FInally, with the venue was packed to the brim, there were excited fans everywhere ranging in ages all over, antsy and waiting for the now hometown hero to take the stage and begin everyone's decent into the madness and purity that is Bloodless.

When Samia finally took to the stage, it was a thousand screaming voices, cheering on the New York native as she stood in shock and awe, almost appearing fearful. All of the love in this building was for her, her music, her performance. The show started off with Triptych, a song from her debut album, The Baby, which fans screamed and cried along to near moments after starting. She held her chin high and belted without nerves, allowing herself to be lost in the music and allowing everyone in the venue to come along with her for the ride.

She played a litany of different eras of herself, showcasing her soul bare and true to the sea of Midwesterners below her, dancing without care and smiling and laughing so wide I'm sure she feared her lips would split, as I'm sure many in the building felt the same.

Throughout the night Samia was joined on stage by various long-time friends from the band Hippo Campus including Jake Luppen and Nathan Stocker, and Caleb Wright, now producer for Samia and retired Happy Children member. But at the end of the encore is when everyone in the crowd was getting teary-eyed at the over-erupting love pouring from the wooden floors, as the stage crowded with friends and loved ones of Samia, all jumping, dancing, and singing along to her single, Honey, from her titled sophomore album. It was an overpowering moment of friendship and joy that I'm sure everyone that got a chance to go to the show will remember for years to come.

Sheb