Quinn XCII took center stage to a packed house at Emo’s.
Quinn XCII brought undeniable energy to his sold-out Emo’s show Wednesday night.
Story by Mandie Meier
Photos by Jonathan Castro
Before Quinn XCII took the stage Wednesday night, fans of all ages were already matching his crazy energy. Impatiently waiting for the show, people danced nonstop to whatever song was playing through the speakers in between sets. They were ready for the unforgettable evening ahead of them.
As the sounds of “Intro (Slow)” came through the speakers, screams drew over the crowd. The Detroit-based singer walked on stage as the song slowly transitioned into “Candle.” Applause welcomed him, as well as a good number of hands raised in the air. “If you’re trying to have a fun ass Wednesday night say hell yeah!” Quinn XCII said to the crowd.
His distinct and calming vocals would have suggested a more subdued stage presence. However, his performance was far from solemn. Right off the bat, it was obvious that he was thrilled to be on stage. His fantastic energy was a constant, as he continued to hype up the audience throughout the entire show.
Quinn XCII is a Detroit-based vocalist and songwriter
After playing songs from his latest album, “The Story of Us,” yellow lights illuminated the stage, resembling his album aesthetic for “Fake Denim.” The crowd screamed every single word to the song, one of his first released from the album.
Introducing his band to the audience, Quinn XCII asked the players them what their favorite alcoholic beverage was. The drummer said her favorite beverage was red wine, while the keyboard player said he would drink anything you threw at him. “That’s the douchiest thing you could’ve said,” said Quinn XCII. This exchange ended up being a transition to “Bootleggin’,” which he described as his drinking song.
“Texas has shown so much love for my music — Austin specifically,” he said.
Quinn XCII performs a song on his album “The Story of Us.”
After playing a few more songs from the album, “The Story of Us” and bantering with the crowd, things became a little more serious. “There’s a lot of messed up things happening in this world. If you take away one message from tonight, [it would be] spread love and spread positivity,” Quinn XCII said. He then proceeded to play “60 seconds,” emphasizing the lyrics, “I need a minute to myself.”
“When I yell this s**t you gotta yell this s**t back — shout this s**t. Oh yeah!” Quinn XCII said. The crowd immediately got more excited and screamed the phrase back and forth, which was a recurring ad-lib from his song, “Always Been You.”
It definitely was a priority for Quinn XCII to make sure his fans were having a great time. Even though “FFYL” was one of his lighter songs, he made sure to keep the crowd amped up by doing a fast-paced rendition. He encouraged the whole crowd to run back and forth across the dance floor. He then stood up in the crowd, fans propping him up with their hands, and crowd-surfed.
Quinn XCII visits Austin on The Story of Us Tour.
After the wild rendition of “FFYL”, Quinn XCII gave a short, but heartfelt speech. “On a serious note, thank you so much Texas,” he said. “In college I was working three jobs doing music on the side as a hobby. Life is too f***ing short not to go for your dreams.”
He explained that his stage name Quinn XCII, pronounced “Quinn 92,” was actually an acronym that stood for “Quit Unless Your Instincts Are Never Neglected.” The singer received the acronym from a professor while he was attending college.
After giving his fans lasting encouragement, he once again brought back his bizarre energy for his favorite song, “Another Day In Paradise” and “Kings of Summer.”
Quinn XCII thanked the audience for what fans thought what his final song as the band played out and the lights faded to black. The crowd simultaneously chanted, “One more song!”
Quinn XCII fuses a variety of musical styles to form his unique sound.
Complying to the crowd’s request, Quinn XCII took the stage. This time, he was accompanied by his opener, Chelsea Cutler, who was sporting a University of Texas at Austin basketball jersey. The two vocalists gave the audience strong vocals and intense on-stage chemistry. Once again, the audience carried the energy and belted the lyrics to “Flare Guns.” The two stuck their mics to the crowd and let the audience lead the majority of the song
“One more for you guys!” Quinn XCII said as the crowd begged for more. Despite the exhausting hours of singing and dancing,the audience screamed louder than ever as “Straightjacket” blasted through the speakers.
“I love y’all so f***ing much,” Quinn XCII said. “Let’s turn up one last time.” He ended the show by dancing to “X” by Kendrick Lamar and spraying water on the crowd. He then threw up the peace sign and walked off with his crew.
Even though most of his music included melancholy lyrics, Quinn XCII put on a show with the energy of a rockstar and left his fans with one unforgettable night.
