Culture | November 8th, 2022
Gems of the City: Hidden in Plain Sight
By: Mycah Brown
Unlike many major cities like New York or Los Angeles, Tallahassee isn’t recognized for its budding music scene. Many young people travel to the city every year to pursue their higher education degrees.
Many students interested in creative arts around the city sometimes find it challenging to connect with others who share the same interests. Adjusting to Tallahassee’s creative community takes a little getting used to when you come from an area emphasizing the importance of music and art.
Official “Gems of the City: Hidden In Plain Sight”
event flyer via @lucidluunar on Instagram
Digging for Diamonds
It takes some digging to find all the hidden gems the city has to offer, but that is precisely what Lucid Luunar, a third-year engineering student at Florida A&M, did.
Luunar began making his mark in the music scene back in his hometown, Atlanta, Georgia, before transferring to FAMU during the fall semester of 2021.
Being from one of the most significant networking areas for the music industry today, Luunar became accustomed to a culture that catered to the up-and-coming talent in Atlanta. With the mindset of moving to Tallahassee to finish his Bachelor’s degree, he still sought to find a family within the local music community.
Hidden In Plain Sight
In May, Luunar had the idea to host an event highlighting all the gifted individuals he’d met during his first year on the hill. Over the summer, he began working on planning a showcase in Atlanta. It was so successful that he decided to go forward with the Tallahassee open mic event with the help of AntMann, a well-versed music industry student at Florida A&M who has established himself as a producer, engineer, artist, and DJ.
AntMann (right), DJ, producer, engineer, and artist photographed by @_slimeshots_ on Instagram
“Everybody just gets so caught up in the motion of things,” Luunar says. “It’s a whole lot of things that are going on here, and this is just serving as an opportunity to ground you. We’re just giving them an opportunity to enjoy music together.”
Luunar goes on to say that since the club scene in Tallahassee is so popular, people don’t have the chance to engage with the music they listen to fully. Creating events like “Hidden In Plain Sight” allows the city’s creatives to build connections with one another and open themselves up to the community as a whole.
For the Culture
These students from across the country and worldwide bring a unique and diverse sense of culture to Florida’s capital. Often this translates through the types of music people around the area listen to and create.
While many of the performers were Florida A&M students, Luunar also brought artists, like LoKii AD, a recording artist based in Atlanta, and one of his good friends. For his first time in Tallahassee, LoKii’s biggest goal was to impact the crowd, showing them some performative aspects they probably hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I just want to let them know that Atlanta is more than Lil Baby-type music,” LoKii says, “It’s more than Gunna and YSL. There’s another side to it.”
Into the Night
Tamyra Nortelus, fashion contest winner (left) next to the host, Sanchiocyyy | Photographed by @_slimeshots_ on Instagram
“Hidden In Plain Sight” was more than just an open mic. It served as a showcase for all art forms, including fashion, photography, and physical paintings. The event began with a mini-fashion show with handmade crocheted outfits by Noval Treasures, following a performance by the host, Sanchoicyy.
Imara Peters, a third-year Psychology student at FAMU, was one of the night’s many performers. Peters began working more on her artistry over the summer, and “Hidden In Plain Sight” was only her third performance. But she was recognized by Luunar for her talented writing and singing abilities, so he asked her to collaborate on the unreleased song they performed together at the show.
“I’m just so excited and proud,” Peters said. “I’ve been friends with Ant since, like, freshman year, and to see them put on a whole show with a bunch of different artists from all over, I feel like, is a really big deal. It really just shows that you can do anything you want to do.”
From the Crowd
There’s no better way to bring people together than with music. “Hidden In Plain Sight” wasn’t only for musicians. It invited everyone for a time of fellowship and friendship. Florida State nursing student, Tamyra Nortelus, found herself having a lot of unexpected fun after seeing how engaging and supportive everyone was toward one another.
Photographed by @_slimeshots_ on Instagram
Throughout the night, the event’s hosts made sure to interact with all the attendees. Guests were encouraged to participate in the night’s 90s vs. 2000s outfit theme, and there was a competition to see who had the best Y2K drip. Nortelus and other guests modeled throughout the show, going through elimination rounds. Ultimately, Nortelus was the winner and biggest “dripstar,” representing old-school fashion that night.
“A lot of the artists had different styles and different vibes,” Nortelus says. “But they still made sure the crowd was hyped for them.”
Photographed by @_slimeshots_ on Instagram
What’s next?
Although the night had to end, Lucid Luunar and AntMann plan on keeping the spirit alive through more events, like “Hidden In Plain Sight,” in the near future. With so much talent around the city, there is a necessity for the opportunity for more young people to showcase their unique abilities.
