Little Moon returns to Velour on heels of Tiny Desk Concert contest win
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- Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Patrons are encouraged to anonymously submit a secret to be read during the Little Moon performance at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Little Moon performs to a tin foil hat-wearing audience at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Bly Wallentine of Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Chris Shemwell of Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Nathan Hardyman performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Materials at a tin foil hat-making station are pictured during the Little Moon performance at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Salt Lake City band Breaker performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Bridget Jackson of Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Emma Hardyman of Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
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- Grace Johnson of Little Moon performs at Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
Utah County band Little Moon won National Public Radio’s highly prestigious Tiny Desk Concerts contest earlier this summer. With over 6,000 submissions, this local band showed their skill and talent not only in winning the series but also a via a tour across the country. Now, finally back from that tour, local fans and friends welcomed them home with a celebratory headlining show on Saturday at the Velour Live Music Gallery in downtown Provo. Their show was full of fun and spooky vibes as it was alien themed and set the tone for the approaching Halloween holiday.
As fans entered the venue, they were met with the options of making their own tin foil alien hat, taking tiny glowing orbs and writing a secret down that would be shared with the audience. Concertgoers jumped at all three opportunities and soon everyone had tin foil alien hats and glowing orbs. The stage was also set up to represent space, with a spaceship and stars coming down from the ceiling.
The night started with Salt Lake City-based artist Breaker. He was the perfect beginning to what would be a memorable night. His vocals were so clear and strong and his song “Downtown” brought great energy and dancing into the crowd.
Following Breaker’s performance, Nathan Hardyman took the stage. He is married to Little Moons lead singer Emma Hardyman and he and his band played a handful of songs off their newly released album “Gold Bug,” which had come out the day before. Nathan’s set, while short, was full of fun lyrics and danceable beats. A crowd favorite seemed to be the song “I’m a Loser (But I Win Sometimes).”
Finally, it was time for the highly anticipated Little Moon return to the Velour stage. Composed of six members — Emma Hardyman (lead singer), Chris Shemwell (drummer), Grace Johnson (keys), Bridget Jackson (harp), Bly Wallentine (bassist) and Nathan Hardyman (guitar). It had been a little while since Little Moon last performed on stage, so fans were anxious to see what was in store for the night. One thing to note about Little Moon is how perfectly all the band members fit and perform together. They all have great chemistry on stage; each musician has put a lot of time and effort into their individual performance, which has enabled them to work extremely well together as a band, each member playing their part without overshadowing each other.
Throughout the night and each set of songs, there would be a break where Wallentine and Emma Hardyman would take turns reading the secret messages left by fans. The secrets ranged from funny little jokes to more serious and personal information. I thought this added a nice personal touch to the evening, creating a connection between the crowd and the artist and gave people a better understanding about what Little Moon is about: inclusivity.
Toward the end of the night, Little Moon performed the song that won them the NPR Tiny Desk contest, “Wonder Eye.” This song can be found on all streaming services as well as on YouTube in their submission video. While this song is a must-listen, it’s hard to compare the recording to the live performance. The room was silent as Emma sang and her vocals echoed out across the crowd. The song ended and the crowd gave a well-deserved round of applause and cheers from the hauntingly beautiful performance.
As the concert came to a close and the night ended, fans and friends lingered in the venue to talk to and take pictures with the fan. While it’s uncertain as to when Little Moon will play the Velour stage again. Saturday was definitely a night to remember as fans eagerly await the good fortune and hopefully new music that is in store. With so much potential and talent, it will be exciting to see what the future holds for Little Moon music.