Concert Review: Hotel Fiction at Cater Lawn

The set-up was minimalist, using just an elevated stage, speakers, and some lights to add color. Behind the stage was numerous vans used to haul equipment or the artists. The big selling point of this set up was the backdrop of Cater Hall. It’s not often that concerts are thrown in front of a mansion. Using Cater Lawn as a venue provides a huge open space for students to pack themselves into.

Up first was Walter Lloyd, a solo pop artist. Lloyd doesn’t play any instruments on stage, instead having his instrumentals play while he entertains. Lloyd sang mostly originals like “To The Moon” and “Time.” Lloyd used the space of the stage to dance around, with the crowd dancing with him. Lloyd’s strongest attribute was his voice. He would nail his high notes and draw the crowd in with his sound.

After a short, but fun set, Lloyd introduced Lunar Parque. They’re an Auburn band that formed this year. Lunar Parque’s been consistently playing shows since their formation in March. This is the second show Lunar Parque and Walter Lloyd has played for WEGL, previously playing WEGL’s 52^nd Birthday Bash End-of-School Extravaganza in April.

Lunar Parque had great energy on stage. Front-woman Sally Little bounced around the stage and kept a smile on the whole time. They played a mix of unreleased originals and covers such as “Witches” by Alice Phoebe Lou and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” by Radiohead. Once again, the crowd got really into their set. Lunar Parque has some of the best musicians in Auburn like John Evans on bass and Zavier Shaw on drums, so it’s no surprise that they put on a great show.

Finally, Hotel Fiction graced the stage. The band opened their set with the bombastic “Think Twice,” setting the mood for the rest of the set. The night was cold, so the band was wearing warmer clothes. Lead singer Jade Long wore an oversized crewneck, guitarist Jessica Thompson wore a sweater, and the rest of the band wore jackets or jerseys. The performance was intimate, with the crowd being only a few feet away from the band.

Hotel Fiction mixed their set with released originals, a few covers, and some unreleased music. They played hits like “Astronaut Kids,” “Allure,” and “Athens, GA.” The crowd was jumping and grooving to the music throughout the show. One of the highlights was when Thompson took over singing duties for a cover of Bill Withers “Use Me Up.” The slow jam was perfect for the middle of the set.

The new unreleased songs Hotel Fiction played all sounded great. After the show, Thompson told me that the band plans on releasing a new album early next year. After a high-energy set, Hotel Fiction finished it off with “Monster.” The crowd didn’t want the concert to end but were glad to buy merch and talk to the band after the concert.

If you want to see Hotel Fiction on tour, they have two more dates for this year. They play December 8^th in Birmingham and December 9^th in Oxford, Mississippi. Stay tuned to WEGL’s instagram to see news about the spring concert on campus.