Lady Sapphire celebrates single release Not a Lovergirl at Stardust Video & Coffee
ORLANDO, Florida – It was a muggy Friday evening on June 14 as listeners gathered inside the small, colorfully lit coffee shop, with merch booths buzzing as people perused the items on offer. A photo booth with purple fabric and a heart shape was set up on the other side of the room. Fans were ready to celebrate Lady Sapphire’s latest single release with friends Zozingbo, Quinn & The Cards, and Bittencore.
The event opened with Zozingbo, the stage name of Zoe Zander, playing an acoustic set. She set the tone of the night as she sang her single come back down! while those gathered took the opportunity to sing along with Zander’s “doot doot”s at the beginning and end of the song. A key moment was when she sang a cover of Paramore’s The Only Exception, drawing in the crowd to sing along and hold loved ones tightly.
Quinn & The Cards went on before the final set of the night, bringing even more fun and infectious energy. They began with a song that outlines their plan to fix the SunRail, Central Florida's rail system, titled Trains Will Save Orlando. They also played their recent single Wish, Wonder, with some members of the crowd singing along to the lyrics and leaving lead vocalist Quinn smiling. The group continued playing their emo pop originals; at one moment, the band members left the stage to dance with everyone, embracing the community they've built at the coffee shop.
Finally, Lady Sapphire took the stage as the instrumentalists in her band Bittencore rang up a jazz number. Vocalists Sapphire, Howie, and Malachi opened the set with Sapphire's first single A Capitalist World with lyrics speaking of the pressures of capitalism, struggling with finances while trying to pursue her dreams.
Bittencore then transitioned into a medley of covers, including Toxic by Britney Spears and Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. Sapphire, Howie, and Malachi alternated singing lyrics from each song, leaving everyone stunned by the fun combination of tracks. Next was an original titled The Fox in which Sapphire speaks on the political climate in the U.S. specifically regarding president Donald Trump. This was suitable for the seemingly anti-right wing crowd as they cheered on the politically charged lyrics.
Continuing on, there was a cover of the song Black Sheep by rock act Metric. Howie did the alternative rock song justice along with the incredible instrumentation from the band. Audience members were excited when Howie hit the iconic “Oh yeah?” and were caught singing along as the song progressed.
As the final solo act, Sapphire played her newly released single Not a Lovergirl with musical support from her band. She sang about not wanting to be perceived as weak for falling in love, remaining in a shell of herself and never opening up to someone she is falling for. The crowd couldn’t escape the infectious rhythm and danced along as they played. The last minute of the song illustrated Sapphire learning to open up, even if it's a small amount. She was left smiling at the end of the set, knowing that the entire audience present was supporting her budding music career.
