The newest hidden gem of Denver's music scene is tucked away on the third floor of the City Heights residence hall at CU Denver. Welcome to Room 3118, home to musicians Zoe Stroupe and Maya Ogea. After watching an acoustic performance by Oniongirl on the Tivoli Quad this afternoon at CSP's Picnic for Palestine, I'm still riding the high of live music. By 8pm, I'm sitting amongst every singer-songwriter in the world, crammed between my friends Cas and Grayson on the carpet.
Everyone sits criss-crossed until the crowd spills out into the hallway and people lean in by the door. A microphone and amplifier are set up between the two lofted beds, creating a center stage in front of the window. If there's one thing liberal arts students know how to do, it's cultivate a vibe. Music plays off the amp while Zoe and Maya finish setting up. Fake candles and string lights create a warm glow that's nothing like the usual overhead dorm lighting. In the doorway, someone takes a Polaroid picture. My friend Cas flash-bangs everyone in the vicinity with his digital camera. I catch Zoe taking a picture of the crowd with a disposable camera from her perch atop the bed. We all scoot closer together until we're packed in like sardines. This room was built to house three people at most, and tonight we've managed to fit in at least 20 people. The energy in the room is electrifying, despite nearly everyone bringing an acoustic guitar. I recognize a couple people from my film classes and the elevator. Soon enough, Maya takes the stage to thank everyone for coming and introduce the first act of the night: Grady Mathison.
Grady Mathison is a freshman singer-songwriter here at CU Denver, roommate to my friend Grayson, and fantastic at both singing and songwriting. He kicks off the night with a performance of technicolor, the lead single off his new album speed of light. Wielding a handsome electric guitar, he got everyone feeling comfortable with the bright, colorful song that is technicolor. Grady puts on the kind of show that makes you wish you knew the words to sing along, and thankfully, we soon got that chance. He introduces us to a song he only decided to cover earlier today: Billie Eilish's Birds of a Feather. I'll admit that I've yet to listen to that song in full, but I know Grady's rendition does the song justice. Not everyone knows the lyrics, not even Grady, but a room full of college kids singing "I'll love you til the day that I die" at each other is the kind of thing people write articles about. Eventually, Grady's set came to a close with his unreleased song sunseeker, but I'm going to keep that a secret. You had to be there.
Katie Overbey is a self-described LA raised Denver transplant currently singing and songwriting her way through CU Denver. Maybe I just get excited about live music, but I honestly think she might be a genius. Her set tonight consisted of three original songs, my favorite being Terrace 49, a crazy-good ballad about not being able to turn back time. She prefaced her performance with a warning about how close to the mic she tends to get and to tell them to back up if they're getting too wild, and a thank you to Aspen in the front row for letting her borrow their guitar. She makes the kind of music where every lyric punches you in the gut and just bleeds authenticity. If I'd have known about her sooner, I would've been bawling my eyes out to Terrace 49, because she somehow perfectly captured the way it feels to leave your hometown and fall victim to the sands of time. I could go on for quite a while about how her performance tonight hit close to home, but I'll restrain myself. When it comes to restraint though, Katie didn't hold back. Her voice is unbelievably strong and her stage presence exudes the confidence of someone whose been playing stadium shows for the past 10 years. My last thought is that it's a damn shame none of their music is on Spotify yet. Keep an eye out for her, she's one to watch.
I last saw Emma Martin this morning, in my 9:30 math class where she graciously let me borrow a pencil. Hiding behind her soft speaking voice is a strong singer that's not afraid to be honest. She starts out by saying that her nerves are through the roof, but she makes playing the guitar look easy and she dips into her performance voice so naturally, it makes you wonder what she has to be worried about. Her style is very much reminiscent of Gracie Abrhams, which I'm sure she'll be glad to hear seeing as she included an unreleased Gracie Abrhams cover in her set. I found myself being reminded of Olivia Rodrigo, boygenius, and Faye Webster listening to her perform. Emma was the perfect closing act, keeping the energy in the room high. There came a point where she forgot the words to her cover song, and I thought that was really charming, especially when everyone jumped to look up the lyrics for her. Like the previous acts, she too brought such a raw, human authenticity to the stage. There's something so harrowing and sacred about watching someone pour their heart out to you, especially when they're inches away and you have class with them next week. Her set was recieved with erupting applause and what would've been a standing ovation if there was room to stand. Her new single Keep It To Yourself is out on Spotify now.
After the hour passed, I returned to my dorm down the hall with a newfound sense of community, friendship, and an urge to write more music. It was a very special night that I am very thankful for. I'm glad I went with Cas instead of staying in my room watching It's Always Sunny. Room 3118 has shows every other Thursday at 8pm. Personally, I think Room 3118 would be the perfect name for a music studio or production company, so I hope that they someday expand their music empire to other venues, because I see great things in their future. You can find all of tonights performers on Instagram at @gradymathison, @katieoverbeymusic, and @emgracemusic13. Many thanks to everybody that makes cool stuff like this possible.