From the second I got out of my Uber down the road from The Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, I was immediately transported to a world of pure good vibes — which, given our current society, is quite hard to do. It just so happened that the town was having their Second Friday Festival, and this month's theme happened to be Halloween; so naturally, everyone was in costume. My boyfriend, Ryan, and I grabbed a few slices of pizza and a few beverages before getting in line to enter.

The energy that surrounds this building tells a tale of decades’ worth of music and the community it brings. While in line, a father/son duo struck up a conversation with us. They told us they were locals and have been seeing bands and artists play here for years. The son, now in his mid-20s, recounted his first concert there at age 8. We got through security, and immediately I knew this was going to be one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. It’s a small and intimate, yet comfortable venue — which includes both floor and upper deck viewing. The crowd was filled with listeners of all ages, all sharing a love for the music.

The opener, Adan Diaz — who wasn’t exactly my cup of tea — was still rocking out pretty heavily.

As Saint Motel entered the stage, there was an overwhelming sense of anticipation for what was to come. As a fan of nearly eight years and a first-time audience member of theirs, my level of excitement could not begin to be quantified. As they approached, there was this gleaming sense of familiarity. I knew this was about to be one of the best concerts I have ever been to.

Photo Curtosey of Ryan Carcia @shotbyry_

This was part of their “Symphony in the Sky” Tour, but they didn’t shy away from playing their classics. They opened by serenading us with “Puzzle Pieces,” which was followed by an articulate mix of songs from the current album as well as a blend of tracks from nearly all of their albums. They ended the set with the song they had released just a few days prior, “Afterglow.” This was a refreshing change of pace, considering a lot of artists don’t stray from their tour albums.

Saint Motel — composed of AJ Jackson as pianist and lead singer, Aaron Sharp as lead guitarist, Greg Erwin on drums, and Dak on bass guitar — has a rich, diverse history of sounds, but Symphony in the Sky is unique. It is a blend of their usual upbeat, melodic sound with orchestral music, which further enhances the cinematic aspect of the album. This album tells a story of change and introspective storytelling, with a much more mature sound than we have heard from them in the past. They bring an entirely different meaning to alternative pop — a sound unique only to them.

Photo Curtosey of Ryan Carcia @shotbyry_

Photo Curtosey of Ryan Carcia @shotbyry_

They are not only renowned for their audible masterpieces; they are also known for creating immersive experiences that transport you to a new place, feeling, and world. They created an entire virtual reality experience for each track on saintmotelevision, making them one of the very first bands to do so for an entire album, and even developed an augmented reality version.

What distinguishes Symphony in the Sky and Afterglow from their previous works is rooted in their newfound sense of freedom. It also marks the first time they have released two albums in one year. Their Instagram interview debut on November 24th keyed us in on how they gained this creative autonomy and freedom over their art. This shift is largely due to the “creative supercharge” that comes with parting ways with a big label such as Elektra Records.

We know how these things go. Many artists — especially those with such raw and intricate talent — eventually terminate or let their contracts with corporate labels expire and become independent artists (Frank Ocean, Tinashe, Macklemore, etc.), whether due to feelings of corporate constraints, loss of creative autonomy, or simply wanting to cut down the hoops artists have to jump through to release music — like not being allowed to release back-to-back albums in the same year. This marks a monumental shift in the trajectory and creative capacity of Saint Motel, who now have the ability to change how we experience music overall. This year alone, they topped their annual streams, countries streamed in, and overall reach.

I, for one, am utterly eager to see what they have in store for us in the future.

Footnote: This concert truly changed me — and that’s saying something given that I have seen over 40 live performances thus far. My word of advice: if you have the chance to see Saint Motel live… TAKE IT!

P.S. I was in the top 0.06% of listeners globally for saint motel 😆.