Lines formed outside the iconic Michigan Theater at 5 p.m., though the main event would not start for hours. As doors opened at 6 p.m., the crowds pushed their way to the front rows for the biggest night of MUSIC Matters’ week-long annual celebration of music. The headlining concert featured indie pop idol ROLE MODEL and up-and-comer E L E Y. The April 11 concert was MUSIC Matters’ first celebrity headliner in four years — a return of global stars joining students to ignite a community built by live music to make social change through community partnerships. Hundreds of screaming fans, only some of whom were students, reminded us what makes a crowd-performer relationship so touching.
Songwriter, producer and singer E L E Y took the stage at 7 p.m. to open the concert. E L E Y’s work brings a rhythmic and melodic sound, witty lyricism and a sense of musicality to pop and R&B music. With influences ranging from hip-hop to rock, E L E Y has long been an industry standout for his work behind the scenes and in the booth. As he later told the audience, this was only his fourth live performance. He dove right into his funky, poppy hit “Deserve” as the audience got off our feet.
E L E Y’s rich voice rang off every verse’s final note. He created a personalized touch in every song as he responded to his lyrics between beats with ad-libs of “that’s true.” He engaged us all as we let the lyrics (which were mostly unfamiliar to us) and catchy rhythms into our ears and hearts. He even told us that his song “Fade Away” was inspired by a young betrayal. His claimed primary focus was priming us for the next set, but the audience took it all in, especially the rich rhythmic hits and love songs from his 2022 debut album Cherry.
In his final moments, he showed how to get a crowd wild — a rendition of “Mr. Brightside” (mostly performed by the audience). Halfway through the song, roaring from the energy, he went into his single “Know You Like Me,” the heavy poppy/punky song making a solid concert closer. We all clapped to an infectious beat we had never heard. His main fault was his unfamiliarity with a crowd, which only appeared as he counted down his remaining songs. Though we had just gotten to know his sound and energy, E L E Y had us hooked.
In the few minutes while we awaited the main event, dozens of people filed into the overflowing balcony seats. As singer-songwriter ROLE MODEL — née Tucker, as a few diehard fans call him — sprinted onto the stage and reached into the crowd, the excellence in live music was palpable. These were some serious fans decked out in merch. Hundreds of people finally met their idol, inspiration or perhaps their crush. His music reached the audience in new, uniquely personal ways as they sang as one.
ROLE MODEL is not without the cheesiness his fans love him for. He told the audience of their beauty on multiple occasions and returned many a “love you.” He held a bit throughout the performance, introducing himself as any artist but ROLE MODEL, from Charlie Puth and Shawn Mendes to Brad Paisley and Nickelback to Rae Sremmurd. He said that he and his band, a powerful team of synthy keyboards, strumming and beat-keeping guitarists and bassists, and rhythmic drums, are “whoever you want us to be tonight.” He kept that promise. He called to each section to sing and yell along with him, and they all seemed to compete for his attention.
ROLE MODEL is a heartthrob. He danced along the stage and jumped like the just-over-teenage boy he is. He even covered One Direction’s “Night Changes.” What set him apart is his steady voice, which held every note with power and dove into stunning, booming melodies, echoing through the crowd as he pulled our heartstrings. It had a unique, smooth headiness. A subtle rasp crept in at times, adding to the depth of his booming range. Every song was a killer.
Bright lights and colors lit the stage to the booming beat of his voice and instrumentals, and ROLE MODEL transported us to summer with a carefree, dance-along-type song with seriously pining lyrics titled “cross your mind.” He joked with the audience in a flirty, nonchalant way. His lyrics are romance — in tones ranging from sensual to edgy to mildly silly. In “neverletyougo,” he let the crowd take over to sing his (in)famous lyric (dedicated to a mystery music video girl), “Respectfully, I think about you sexually.”
ROLE MODEL’s music career began in a college dorm room, where he tried on his signature bedroom pop with truly catchy yet relatable lyrics and melody. He started with songs of angst, love and insecurities. In his recent single “a little more time,” he dove into the more homegrown elements of his music, picking up a guitar and playing some simple chords while letting his voice shine through. The crowd belted along to the relatable lyrics about the pains of hookup culture in “that’s just how it goes.” In his hit song “blind,” his voice hit every powerful downstrum as the crowd shook with each note.
Some songs are pop-punky and others have a tinge of R&B; some even have a ’90s guitar and drum-heavy pop feel. ROLE MODEL built a style with all the elements that make pop music great. He reminds us that pop and indie are fun.
ROLE MODEL acknowledged his audience of teenagers, the people who can most relate to his anthems and odes. Early on, ROLE MODEL promised the boyfriends, girlfriends and mothers brought “against your will to support someone you love” that something would win them over. If not his music, his voice and stage presence did just that.
The all-caps letters in the singers’ names suddenly made sense. After experiencing a concert, the singers become massive presences in our lives that we cannot quite shake. With E L E Y’s and ROLE MODEL’s performances, the four years of waiting for a celebrity to kick off Springfest felt worth it, and we all felt ready for a week of live performances. The best live music is about connection, love and occasionally, a subtle flirtation between performer and audience.
Senior Arts Editor Kaya Ginsky can be reached at kginsky@umich.edu.