Alessia Cara
Having a concert at a mall sounds like a strange idea, but Hamilton Place has recently been the host of stranger things than that.
Less than 24 hours after Hamilton Place Mall became one with the Tennessee River, it played host to a long-awaited Alessia Cara concert, courtesy of the Kiss 103.7 radio station.
Chattanooga’s most prominent (or perhaps second-most prominent) radio station spent the last couple of months promoting the free concert during every commercial break, and the months of promotion showed when the time came.
It was standing room only around the makeshift stage, with the normally chilly space stuffy and warm from the mass of bodies in such a tight space. In the hour before the concert, a group of mostly children and teenagers bounced along to popular hype-songs like “Crank That” by Soulja Boy and “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen.
But after what felt like an interminable wait, the concert was finally started……..by Meg Donnelly. The up-and-coming artist showed off her vocal range and signing abilities for the crowd, but she was merely considered a placeholder for the real show.
After 30 minutes, Alessia Cara finally got on stage amidst deafening cheers. The pop sensation started the concert with one of her more popular songs, “Scars to Your Beautiful.” The already bombastic song sounded even more thunderous in the echo-y confines of Hamilton Place Mall. Afterwards, she answered a few questions her fans had sent in ahead of time.
When asked to elaborate on the message she wants her songs to send to listeners, Cara said “Well, I think it depends on the song. But the main thing about my songs is that we all go through the same things. We’re all human, we’re all going after love and acceptance and happiness, and that’s what I try to do with my songs.”
Another fan asked her about what she enjoyed most about touring. Cara is currently on tour with fellow pop star Shawn Mendes as they promote their respective albums.
"The best thing about touring is getting to travel. I mean, we just toured through Europe, and I’m seeing cities I’ve never seen before,” said Cara, “And I get to tour with my best friend now, which is amazing. You know, making friends on the road is just the best.”
Cara’s newest album “This Summer” features the song “Ready,” which was released a little over a week ago. After performing “Out of Love,” Cara ended the short concert by giving the audience a sneak peak into this yet-unreleased album. While the concert-goers remained enthusiastic throughout the performance, it was obvious the audience wasn’t quite as participatory, as the lyrics were not yet common knowledge.
After this final song, Cara thanked the present Chattanoogans for coming out to see her performance, and quietly exited the stage. The crowd quickly dispersed as well, with the loudspeaker playing some of Alessia Cara’s other hits.
Alessia Cara at Hamilton Place