Audiofeed Presents Nekita Waller
State House Square Food Court
Hartford
July 23, 2024
Sometimes, things just don’t go according to plan.
I left the house with time to spare to arrive at State House Square for the beginning of the Audiofeed concerts hosted every Tuesday at noon right outside of the gates to the Old State House. There was a slight drizzle in the air, but not enough to necessitate an umbrella.
When I arrived at the usual area, there was nothing to be found. Afraid that the rain had canceled the show, I asked around.
“Did you check inside the food court? Sometimes they move the concert in there,” someone told me.
I walked inside the food court next to the Old State House, and heard music echoing off the white linoleum floor. Over in the corner I saw Nekita Waller, sitting in a chair between two large speakers with a microphone and her cell phone on a stand in front of her.
She was singing the Alicia Keys hit “No One.” The lyrics seemed especially appropriate for the circumstances:
You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don’t worry ’cause
Everything’s gonna be alright
People keep talking, they can say what they like
But all I know is everything’s gonna be alright
She was using the cell phone to play her background music, when disaster struck: the wi-fi in the building became unstable, and Nekita was unable to play the background music for her songs.
Still, the show must go on, and Nekita proved herself to be up to the task. She sang the next song, “Oh! Darling” by The Beatles, acapella. She belted out the notes with a clear, powerful voice.
Even though she could carry the rest of the performance on her own, Nekita still wanted to give the audience of lunch crowd office workers the best show that she could. She walked around the area, looking for the best spot to get reception for her cell phone.
After a few moments she found it — outside of the bathroom.
Again, she proved unflappable, setting up and performing Adele’s “Hello” as customers walked by.
After the performance, I spoke with Nekita I told her that I thought she did an amazing job, but that if she didn’t want videos of her performing in less than ideal conditions out there, I would try to catch another of her shows.
“I’m here as my authentic self, and I always do my best so I’m proud of how I always present myself,” she said. “I like to sing music that makes people feel good, and I accomplished that today.”
Being an artist is a demanding job even under the best circumstances, but the true test of a professional is how they handle adversity and the unexpected. Nekita Waller brought her A game to her performance. Iit didn’t matter how many adjustments she had to make to keep the music going. It was one of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen, and in the end, everything was all right.
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You can learn more about Nekita Waller by following her on Instagram.
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