I'll start by saying these kinds of concerts aren't usually my thing. My most out-there music taste is probably Green Day, my typical Friday night looks like take-out and last-minute homework. So, when I was told I'd be going to this concert I wasn't expecting much more than a job.
As I walked through the tunnel heading into the Secret Garden, it felt as though I was entering a new world. I entered a place unlike the rest of the Tempe campus. As someone who lives on the Downtown Phoenix campus, to me, Tempe was always large and full of student life. So to see this secluded subsection broken off from the hustle and bustle of Tempe was not what I ever expected to find.
Walking around, I looked for a place to set my camera equipment. Normally at events like this, there would be rules. Stand here, don't go there, stay away from the talent, etc. But here we felt so free. There were no restrictions and I could go just about anywhere which was an amazing change of pace.
Things began to pick up when the first two bands , Analog Monsters then followed by Bummer Girl, started to play. The first two bands were great but the one that really caught my eye was the third act: Snailmate. The colors, the props, the performance — it all felt larger than life.
A "true performance" was the only way to describe it. They weren't just musicians, they were actual performers. Seeing the lead vocalist walk through the crowd while singing felt so raw — it was like we were a part of the song.
Every once in a while I'd bump into someone I knew: a coworker here, classmate there, and for the first time on the Tempe Campus, I had felt a true sense belonging in this tight-knit community. If Tempe is the big city you move to for college, then this Secret Garden concert is your hometown. It's small and cramped, but there's an intimate, warm feeling when you visit.
Finally came the last act: Animal Shin. In contrast to Snailmate's in-your-face performance with a striking pink and orange color scheme, Animal Shin had a cooler blue and purple aesthetic with a more low-key tone.
Throughout the band's performance, the singer would make jokes and occasionally talk with the audience, making it feel, once again, like the barrier between artist and audience was nonexistent. At one point the lead singer even joked about the other bandmates, giving the allusion that we were included in an inside joke.
As the night came to an end and my friends and I walked through the exit, it felt as though we were leaving this strange world for good. While yes, we could always go back to the Secret Garden, the lights and sounds we experienced would be no more and all that was left of the night was the memories we made and the few pictures we took along the way.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Quinton Kendall and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at mamareng@asu.edu and follow @matthewmarengo on X.
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Matthew is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communications. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked at The Cut Network.
