On Nov. 9, the Social Programming Board (SPB) hosted Saint Motel at The Pageant, a venue on the Loop, as a free event students could sign up for. It was in place of Fall WILD, which was canceled last year due to budget and location concerns. 

I first heard about NAP on Oct. 27, the Friday morning before Halloween, when the SPB mysteriously appeared in my inbox. It was an email titled “SPB Presents a Night at the Pageant: NAP!” 

So, I opened it. It started with a few paragraphs explaining how Fall WILD could not be provided like it was before, out on the lawn. WILD, short for Walk In, Lay Down, would be NAP — at least this time.  In summary, it’s a rebrand coming from the fact that since not all students could attend, “Fall WILD” would not be the right label. 

At this point, I thought: “Okay, I’ll take it. There’s space for 2,000, and it’s walkable. SPB reserved the whole venue and provided transportation. The band is Saint Motel, known for a few songs such as “My Type,” “Cold Cold Man,” and “Sweet Talk.” Saint Motel fits somewhere around the American indie pop genre, so it’s a different pace than last spring’s headliner, Flo Milli, but they still fit with mine and a large group of students’ tastes. And, the biggest reason: it’s a free concert. Sign me up!”

At this point, some of my friends thought: “Okay, that’s in less than two weeks. There’s limited space, and I have an exam that day, two papers to write, and it’s on a Thursday. So…I will not be signing up today.” 

For many, NAP was not going to work out, and even if tickets were free, there was still no guarantee that they could get one. So, maybe they moved on, and remembered the silver lining: there’s always Spring WILD.

For those of us who went, the first step was getting there. SPB provided shuttles there and back, but encouraged us to walk, as seats were limited. We showed up with our IDs and tickets, ideally the ones we had reserved beforehand and picked up a few days before.

Walking into The Pageant, I saw that the front space was filled but there was still plenty of room near the middle and back. Before the main act, people were still walking in and those less interested in the opener were talking to each other. For an indoor concert, it wasn’t too packed or too empty, but that might depend on where you stood — rows near the back were also at a higher level than the front, so being able to see performers was not an issue. 

1. Maya was the opener, who I had never heard of before. She is an up-and-coming artist as well as a recent Survivor contestant, where she told us she met fellow musician Sifu. After bringing out Sifu to play guitar, she performed a hard-hitting song “Achilles Heel” and brought up the crowd’s energy as they anticipated the headliner.

(Courtesy of Zoe Oppenheimer | Student Life)

The wait dragged on, but eventually Saint Motel began with a few of their hits, including “Puzzle Pieces,” “For Elise,” and “Move.” It was a surprise to hear the phrase “Go Bears!” come out of lead singer AJ Jackson’s mouth, and then even more shocking when he asked how many of us were premed. After a few little conversations with us, you could tell the crowd was warming up to the band — Saint Motel had made an effort to learn about us, and we appreciated that.

Jackson went on to talk about meeting his bandmates in college, as they were all film majors. He also attempted to come up with a motto for us. “WashU doing?” was one of them. Dressed in business casual, Saint Motel gave the impression of a professor trying to stay hip. But, you know, a well-liked professor. The show went on.

After more hits such as “Cold Cold Man,” Saint Motel performed some of their new releases, including “Fine Wine” and “Everyone’s A Guru Now.” For the entire night, the screen behind the performers was off, probably due to technical issues, but colorful, flashing stage lights made up for any lack of spectacle. Coming into the concert,  I was not expecting as much excitement as there was, but when AJ Jackson said, “JUMP!” you best believe we jumped. 

At the same time, Jackson gave us cues and harmonies to match their songs. So, even if you didn’t know the songs, you could still sing along, which was one of the best parts of the concert, in my opinion. Near the end of the show, the crowd reached a high point in energy.  For their encore, they played one of their top songs, “My Type,” which was, of course, a big hit. 

Saint Motel’s music may not be on top of the charts, but its crowd work, energy, and attention to detail made the night a special one. The wait was rough, many seats empty, and surely no Walking In and Laying Down, but it was enjoyable all things considered. Upperclassmen have all the right to say it’s not anything near Fall WILD, but for many of us who went, it was a memorable experience.