As I traversed Lark Street in Albany on the snowy night of December 7, I entered The Eleven, a bar and eatery located downstairs at Lark Hall. I was set to see Mikaela Davis that night, and as I waited for the doors to open, a kind woman named Lilah handed me the lemon ginger tea I ordered and asked if I had ever seen Mikaela live. When I told her it was my first time, she enthusiastically said, “You’re going to love her, she and her band get better and better every time.”

That’s exactly what live music promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie/Bell Productions wrote in a Facebook post regarding the anticipated show earlier that week. Mikaela Davis was a name I had heard floating around since I moved to upstate New York; nothing but stellar reviews, acclaim and excitement for the upcoming indie singer-songwriter. After conducting some pre-concert research, I was surprised to learn that her main instrument was the harp. Very rarely have I heard the harp played outside of a classical music context, so I was eager to hear how “60s pop-soaked melodies” could be combined with the instrument to create psychedelic and driving folk rock.

The opening act, Rochester NY-based group Maybird, came on the Lark Hall stage at 8 o’clock sharp. Consisting of a rhythm guitarist, lead guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer, they utilized their musicianship to create futuristic jams. The neo-psychedelic band’s first song, “Keep in Line,” was a reverb-y and colorful piece that immediately broke ground with a driving guitar riff and an infectious beat. Drummer Adam Netsky was in the pocket throughout the entire set, while harmonizing with the frontman, his brother Josh Netsky on a good chunk of the songs. Lead guitarist Sam Snyder showcased a unique way of playing the instrument — for the first song, he played with his fingers over the fretboard of the guitar, not underneath, as is typically done.

Maybird made every song an experience —  with each tune, I felt as though I was floating higher and higher into the tapestry of stars in the night sky. The group’s second song, “Don’t Keep Me Around” showcased the members’ vocal abilities the best. Snyder and both Netsky brothers all sang luscious harmonies during the chorus. My favorite thing about Maybird’s set were the jams they seamlessly transitioned into during the outros of their songs. The groove was always intact, even during the most experimental of jams.

“Lost in Wonderland” was the fourth song of the set from the album “Wonderland,” an album released in 2021 that Josh Netsky said was inspired by the classic tale, Alice in Wonderland. I’d say the band certainly achieved that sound — Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats are some of the things I envisioned when I closed my eyes and listened to Maybird’s music. With on-the-nose, yet poignant lyrics such as “I fell into a hole / Now I’ll never redeem my soul,” my first thought was, “Well, that’s relatable.” In fact, many of Maybird’s lyrics have a way of touching deeper parts of myself, being relatable without feeling TikTok algorithm-optimized. Maybird’s stage presence was that of a seasoned act. They put on one hell of a show, up to and including strobe lights that were synchronized to match the jams they were playing.

Shortly after Maybird’s set, Mikaela Davis and Southern Star gathered on the stage. The energy in the room radiated as the crowd grew more and more excited with every passing moment.

“You’re in for a treat,” one man in the crowd told me right before she came onstage, “This is my eleventh time seeing her live. She’s incredible, the band is incredible, you’re going to love it.”

The kind gentleman was right, and shortly after the band began their first song, entitled “Cinderella,” I could see why one would go to her concert eleven times. Mikaela possessed a sweet, yet powerful voice, complimented by her ethereal harp melodies. Everything I had read about her began to make sense — from the band’s luscious and kaleidoscopic grace to their genre-bending tunes, the harp strings tugged at my heartstrings.

Mikaela’s harp playing reflects that of a trained professional; having earned a harp performance degree from Crane School of Music, the instrument serves as an extension of her; it is played so tenderly that it feels magical. Not to mention how catchy Mikaela’s melodies are — you can’t help but want to dive deep into her discography upon leaving the show. What I found most interesting about her performance was the pedal board she was using to create these cosmic sounds. Having seen pedal boards typically used by guitarists and bassists, I felt as though my musical horizons have broadened simply by seeing the classically-trained harpist play live.

Her band, Southern Star, shined brightly throughout the entire set. Lead guitarist Cian McCarthy’s solos often made me feel as though I was being transported to summertime, basking in the sun on the beach. The third song of the set, “Home in the Country,” most certainly made me feel like I was home in the country —  the marriage between a Martin acoustic guitar, walking bass line and a delicious pedal steel performance made it sound like mystical Americana. It was reminiscent of old-school country; at home, yet brand new. 

There were elements of surprise throughout Mikaela’s entire set. For example, the band’s cover of the beloved Grateful Dead song, “Here Comes Sunshine,” led to a Dead-esque jam session that mesmerized the audience. The combination of stringed instruments and effects from the variety of psychedelic pedals used allowed the band to put their own unique flair on the crowd-favorite cover song. My favorite thing about their set was just that — the jams were not only fun to vibe to, they were fluid. The tightness between the band members, especially during the jams, prove they are a force to be reckoned with.

I came out of the Mikaela Davis and Southern Star show at Lark Hall with a better sense of self — a deeper understanding of who I am and what I wanted my future to look like. That’s exactly what’s so special about live music; if you leave the venue thinking you’ve been changed for the better, you’re probably right. With an undeniable chemistry between the bandmates and a unique spin on genre-bending psychedelic folk rock by a classically-trained harpist, this band will go even further in the coming years. Eventually, I put down the pen and paper, and let the music take me into space.