Diet Cig played at Off Broadway Tuesday night, creating one of the most remarkable shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of attending. A spunky, punk-y duo from upstate New York, Diet Cig formed in 2014 after vocalist Alex Luciano interrupted drummer Noah Bowman’s set to ask for a cigarette lighter. Four years down the road, Diet Cig has released two EPs and one studio album to become one of the most intriguing, unique groups in the indie music scene.

The night opened with Los Angeles-based Illuminati Hotties’ soft, dreamy melodies that melded into heavier, garage-type jams. Possibly the best opener I’ve ever seen, Illuminati Hotties played with enthusiasm and character, singing songs about wanting to keep the dogs of their ex-lovers. It was clear the whole band was having a tremendous amount of fun: The drummer wore sunglasses the whole time, and every standing member of the band danced and played with their whole body. The lead singer suddenly said, “This is the part of the set where I change guitars,” and the rest of the band burst into a bright, buzzing melody as the singer danced and switched instruments. The Illuminati Hotties’ Bandcamp bills the group as “tenderpunk,” emblematic of the show as a whole.

Elizabeth Phelan | Student Life

Diet Cig members Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman perform at Off Broadway. Luciano and Bowman, who have been bandmates since 2014, are known for their happy, quirky indie rock and conversations with audience members at shows.

Diet Cig’s instruments amplified the quirky and whimsical group vibe: a keyboard adorned with fake flowers, rubber ducks on the drum set and a plethora of shiny stickers on Luciano’s guitar.

Before their set started, Luciano announced that the Diet Cig merch table had a laptop for online voter registration, combining my two favorite things in the whole world: indie music and democratic access. “We’re gonna rock out, then we’re all gonna register to vote,” Luciano said. “It’s gonna be really cool, we’re gonna make some change together.”

Luciano wore large cherry earrings and a bright spray of glitter across her cheekbones. She explained that a torn ACL kept her from dancing as she normally would, but it didn’t seem to hold her back much; she spent guitar solos twirling and leaping across the stage, grinning fiercely the whole time. On multiple occasions she jumped into the audience to dance with us.

Diet Cig’s music is at once jubilant and defiant. Luciano’s soaring vocals are at the core of each song, with simple guitar riffs and Bowman’s precise percussion rounding out the upbeat yet gritty sound of the band. Diet Cig’s work explores the different emotions that come with different ages; their music touches on the ennui and pain of adult life and the innocence of adolescence. Some of their songs jeer at Ivy League elitism while others are about seeking refuge from the onslaught of adult responsibilities in a bowl of ice cream. Yet there is an innate compassion in their music, an acknowledgement and appreciation of what makes us human.

This compassion was further embodied in the talks Luciano would give in between songs. She said, “We’re gonna get tender again, OK?” and spoke at length about the full Aries moon, body positivity and the sex appeal of the Midwestern diet (“I feel like everyone in the Midwest is super-hot, because all you guys consume is beer and corn”). She asked if any of us had a crush in the audience, and declared 2018 as the year of platonic intimacy, telling us that we should be physically and emotionally vulnerable with our friends. She had us all swear aloud that we wouldn’t water ourselves down for others, and told us with sincerity, “Your art matters, and your voice matters.”

Luciano also specifically thanked women and people who were trans, nonbinary and LGBTQIA* for attending and taking up space at the show. I talk a big game—or write a big game, I guess—about inclusivity and progressivism in the DIY music scene, but Diet Cig are active proponents and allies, creating and supporting spaces where marginalized groups can find an outlet for creativity (“safer spaces,” Luciano called them).

The Diet Cig show also had one of the most interesting audiences I’ve seen in a while; there were high schoolers with shaved and dyed hair, parents who were probably in their 30s, and even some sexagenarians. Although unusual, it was not unwelcome to see people older than college students at an indie show; an all ages space means all ages. It further speaks to the broad appeal and inclusivity of Diet Cig shows that people who are 16 or 60 feel equally enthused by the music and dance.

When the set ended and “Cha-Cha Slide” played over the speakers, Luciano and Bowman rushed back onstage, coordinating the dance with the audience members. For a brief, brilliant moment in time, Diet Cig had us sliding to the left, sliding to the right, opening our hearts, feeling tender and vulnerable and registering to vote on top of it all.