By Alycia Glib
Reviews Editor
CUB Alt hosted an Instagram Live event featuring indie artist Kate Bollinger on Mar. 5 from 9-9:30 pm. The event was a 30-minute acoustic showcase of Bollinger’s music.
“I wish this was a Zoom so I could see all of you,” indie singer/songwriter Kate Bollinger said in between songs during her virtual performance this evening. The performance, partnered with CUB Alt, was a 30-minute acoustic session via Instagram Live. While the performance was short and online, Bollinger was able to bring an intimate, coffeehouse-style atmosphere to viewers’ phone and laptop screens.
According to American Songwriter, Bollinger has been releasing music since age 16. Since first sharing her music on SoundCloud, she’s gone on to release two EPs on Spotify, and has over 400,000 monthly listeners on the streaming platform.
Bollinger played a total of eight songs — all accompanied by her acoustic guitar — in the company of her newly adopted bunny, Penny, and an intimate audience of students from the College. Her set started off with “A Couple Things,” a song usually backed by a soft bass and keyboard accompaniment. Bollinger’s voice is both bouncy and smooth, giving her music an easy to listen to, “vibey” feel. Bollinger followed this song with her 2018 single, “Softer.”
Next in the set was a more upbeat song called, “Untitled.” The song highlights her internal conflicts of not wanting to be alone, but at the same time being tired of being hurt by relationships that go south. The song stays true to Bollinger’s smooth and easygoing sound. Bollinger’s presence pairs well with her music, as she was down-to-earth and sweet throughout the performance.
A fan favorite of the performance was undoubtedly Bollinger’s performance of “Je Reverai a Toi,” — “I’ll dream of you” — a beautifully melancholy song about a long distance relationship. In the song, Bollinger sings in French, “I do not know, I'm not sure / That when you leave / I will stay in your heart / Tell me I will stay.” Bollinger’s silky voice mixed perfectly with the romantic-sounding — yet truly sad — French lyrics. During the song, one viewer commented, “French suits your voice so well.”
During her performance, to the delight of her fans, Bollinger performed a new, unreleased song, to which a viewer commented, “Alt exclusive!” The song, “The Boys in My Head” was another hit with viewers, who commented their praise for the new song.
While live concerts are not currently possible, CUB has been bringing students a little piece of “the old normal” by putting together performances like this one. The music may not be in person, but taking a break to hear some live music is still a great opportunity for students to unwind, especially nearing midterms.
Bollinger took some time at the end to interact with fans, answering their comments and asking them questions. She shared how strange it was to not be able to interact with her fans, but that she’s just happy to be sharing her music.
“I know these [events] can be weird cause we can’t interact, but I love performing any chance I get during these times,” Bollinger said.
