Night Talks and Blissedoubt rock the house at Groundworks, Saturday night

Written and Reported by Catherine Hill

TUCSON, Arizona. – Alex Blue, Phoinixx, and Blissedoubt open for Night Talks, Saturday, September 9th, at Groundworks.

Located at 2919 E Grant road, the venue hosts a variety of small and local artists. On Saturday, headliner Night Talks rocked the house with their songs, “Overcome, Dancing with my Eyes Closed, Searching, Shake Me Awake,” from their latest album, “Same Time Tomorrow.”

“[We] drove here from Los Angeles, barely made it in time but boy are we happy to be here!” Soraya Sebghati, lead singer of Night Talks, exclaimed.

Bathed in dramatic purple stage light and blue neon, the band danced while performing onstage all throughout their set. Sebghati’s movements encouraged those in the audience to dance along, as people bobbed their heads and shuffled their feet.

According to Sebghati, a favorite lyric that the band created is, “then it hits me like a brick and I can’t move/ there’s a monster in my bed/ looks like you/ if I’m never here again it’ll be too soon.”

Night Talks have been together as a band since high school, originally performing as Black Top Saints. The band has performed as Night Talks for close to a decade now.

Based out of Los Angeles, this is the band’s first on-tour visit to Tucson. The band ventured here in order to expand their audience and meet new people outside of LA.

A Tucson-based band, Blissedoubt, opened as one of the three acts for Night Talks. Blissedoubt performed their original songs, “Milk and Cigarettes, Letters from My Future Self, You Said You Loved Me, Almost You, and Star Song.”

The song “You Said You Loved Me” speaks from the heart: “I’m tired of trying to be enough for you. But I’m still bleeding, that wounds not healing.” The vocalist’s long, drawn out lyrics enchant the audience, as the crowd’s full attention breaks only for applause. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Now I’m sitting here asking, ‘what did I do wrong?’”

According to one of the vocalists, Penelope Monroy, the song “Almost You” describes someone who leaves without a warning. “You said it was sweet with me, how sweet was leaving me? I really hoped it wouldn’t end this way, illusions tend to fade. I had to say goodbye in the blink of an eye and you did that.” At the lyric, “so if you’re leaving—” the band abruptly jumps into a drum and piano synth jam session. This move mirrors their delivery of their song “Milk and Cigarettes,” as the band pairs long drawn out vocals with a drum jam, punch-packing delivery.

Blissedoubt concludes the night with the very first song the group played together. “The stars sing to me and I look up at them and feel that I can breathe.” According to Monroy, “Star Song” refers to being okay with yourself and the world around you.

To keep up with the latest from Night Talks, follow their instagram: @night_talks

To keep up with the latest from Bliss Doubt, follow their instagram: @blissedoubt

FOR KAMP: If you like Phoebe Bridgers, Oh Wonder, or Dodie, then you’ll enjoy Blissedoubt.

FOR KAMP: If you like Neon Trees, Litany, or The Wombats then you’ll enjoy Night Talks.