Saturday was the first semifinal for the month-long competition of Sound Off!, MoPop’s under-21 battle of the bands. Four youth artists took the stage to showcase their many talents, and each act showed versatility and sui generis styles. Each artist presented their best work to compete for a spot in the final on Mar. 7. There was a huge turn out, which made the night that much more special for every act as friends and families came to cheer them on.

The first artist to take the stage was Ry Lucia, a singer-songwriter out of Seattle. She stood with her acoustic guitar and eddying water visuals, creating an intimate vibe that was complemented by her beautifully crooned songs about love, breakups, and crushes. She had the crowd constantly drawn into every lick of her guitar and her lyricism. When she sang, “She’s painting over your picture, and all you can do is watch,” the imagery was so vivid and personable that I felt like I was the “she.” She closed her set by playing the piano, wowing us even more with her musicality. 

Next to the stage was Tiny Planet, a jazz-fusion group from Seattle. The first two minutes of their set felt like a jam session as alto saxophone, electric bass, and drums enmeshed in moments so perfectly it was like live matter in your body. These kids came to the stage confident, heads banging, and with some serious skills. As maestros, they engaged their crowd: the audience squatted to the ground with decrescendos, and we lifted our hands as high as we could when the music came back up. Wondering what moon was driving them, I coasted on the sounds of the jazzy mood. 

Kaia, from Edmonds, was a clear favorite, as she had the whole crowd chanting her name as she glided to the stage. She presented a clear, motivational message about being strong in the face of adversity throughout her set. Her stage presence was confident and comfortable, matching her voice as she gave her all to each song. She owned the stage, and her unique rasp had inklings of Alina Baraz and Alicia Keys that sent the crowd into an uproar after every song.

Last to the stage was experimental punk band The Human Missile Crisis, out of Tukwila. The energy of this band transcended the audience. They sampled all the right songs to make the crowd fall into their sound. The entire set, the crowd was head-banging and dancing. On point, one of the band members jumped out to crowd surf. As we carried them, they carried us into the night as the band rocked out. The judges felt the same way, and The Human Missile Crisis became the winner of the night.

Sound Off! continues next Saturday, Feb. 22, when 49th Parallel, Mr.Dinkles,Searows, and thom.ko will compete to join The Human Missile Crisis in the finals on Mar. 7.