When I first arrived at College Street Music Hall, I noticed that the sold-out show had a line down the street and around the corner. I waited with high hopes for what seemed to be forever in the New Haven cold. 

After entering, I could barely walk through the crowd of people waiting to go through the second set of doors. The floor was already packed with people listening to an angelic voice. I was scared that I was late to see Faye, however it was Mei Ehara beautifully singing her songs. 

As I made my way to find a spot, I watched the lights from the stage and noticed everybody in awe. She sings in Japanese and has some songs with Faye. I am always super fond of the openers because it’s hidden talent that is being showcased. This was the perfect example of it. Even though I was so lost with what she was saying, I did not want to stop listening. 

After her set, she left the stage, and the crew began working on Faye’s set. The first thing I noticed was a huge shirt that was at the back of the stage. Then washing machines with LED lights coming out of them. Finally, enough clothing racks to fill a Quinnipiac dorm room with clothes.  

At this time, I went over to the merchandise booth to buy a new vinyl record. I get a new record at every show. I was able to take my time in line to look at everybody’s outfits and notice the variety of clothing there. Everybody was themselves in their outfits and came dressed to impress. 

I made my way back to my spot after purchasing two new albums. Shortly after, the lights faded, and the cheering began. There was an uproar of fans in College Street Music Hall. Faye Webster’s band came out and started playing music. Faye was nowhere to be found, and the crowd was silent. She came running on stage and the uproar began again. She opened with the song “But Not Kiss” and the cheering did not stop. 

The lighting and sound were perfect, Faye sounded amazing, and the band made no mistakes. They played some of her smaller, newer songs, but also her big hits like “Right Side of My Neck” and “Jonny.” Throughout the songs, the washing machines would change colors and the images on the shirt would reflect the words being sung. The clothes swayed in the wind being blown onto stage. 

She closed with the song “Cheers” and of course everybody asked for an encore. She came back out to play two songs. The first one was “Feel Good Tuesday.” Everybody was so excited and listened in what was almost silence. It was a surreal feeling to be as invested as everyone else, that the whole theatre was quiet. 

This quickly changed when we heard the words “The day that I’d met you I started dreaming.” The theatre started singing and screaming along to the song. The lights were the most beautiful they were all night and bubbles started emerging from the floor. It felt like we were in a new world that was only attainable for that moment. 

Faye finished all her songs and left the stage. Nobody was in a rush to leave. Everybody wanted her to play more songs, but we knew that was the end of the show. We made our way back out to the New Haven cold and reminisced on what we had just seen.