Still Woozy in San Diego

A night at the Observatory for indie rock music

ANNA VALAIK / ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

You could hear the laid back vocals, ambient synths, and teenage screaming from blocks away — Still Woozy’s dreamy voice literally reverberated through the North Park streets late on March 11, and it was this voice that sold out an entire North American tour, including this very stop in San Diego. 

Often described as a “genre-hopping” artist, Sven Gamsky, widely known as Still Woozy, showed up and showed out for a crowd of excited fans. If you don’t believe this was a hyped-up concert, just ask the fifteen people standing outside the venue asking if anyone had extra tickets. Somehow, a ticket landed in my hands, and I knew I had to take advantage of this unique opportunity. I experienced my first solo concert 0at Still Woozy, and this is how it went. 

Firstly, the Observatory, located in the heart of North Park, was an incredibly easy concert hall to navigate. The lines were organized, security had control over the crowds, and people were quickly entering the venue without issues. 

Currently, the venue’s COVID-19 protocols include providing proof of vaccination or a negative test result within 72 hours of the concert. 

These protocols were heavily enforced as well, which I appreciated. I have heard of some venues being quite laxidasical with their COVID protocols, so it was nice seeing the Observatory actually honor their promises and want to keep their patrons safe. All in all, I had a seamless experience from the moment I reached the venue to the moment I stepped inside.

Walking into the Observatory late Friday night felt like walking into anyone’s dream concert scenario. The relaxed atmosphere and crowd immediately made this show feel more intimate, especially since concerts can oftentimes turn into an elbow competition for a frontrow view. This couldn’t be further from the energy at the Still Woozy show. Everyone seemed to stake their ground and stay there, happy to be watching the stage from any vantage point because they were all good. 

Structurally, the Observatory, as a concert venue, also lends itself to a more welcoming experience. It’s a standing only venue, and the concert hall was designed to have a gradual slant; this means you can more easily see over the people in front of you, which is nice for those on the shorter side.

At Still Woozy, whether you were in a group, with your partner, or alone, like myself, everyone’s goal seemed to be just to relax and have fun. 

Casual clothes were the common attire, but there were also a plethora of people standing out in eccentric pants, fun hairdo’s, and neon makeup. I enjoyed seeing the variety of clothing choices because it was a testament to the type of fans Woozy attracts; people felt comfortable to be themselves because Woozy’s music feels so authentic and free flowing, just like him. 

During his hour-long concert, Woozy made an impression on the crowd that was truly unforgettable, and was, arguably, a bit unexpected. If you’ve ever listened to his music, you know that it gives off a more chill, relaxed vibe, like something you play in the car with the windows down. Although his tunes are upbeat and groovy, you maybe wouldn’t imagine jumping up and down to them. 

However, this couldn’t be further from the reality at his San Diego concert. Woozy, himself, put on a show from beginning to end. His infectious energy, paired with dreamy tunes like “Lucy” and “Habit” took over the concert hall, and the crowd immediately matched his enthusiasm. 

Woozy ran around the stage constantly, standing on speakers and interacting with his bandmates. He quite literally embodied the phrase “dance like no one’s watching.” 

Even though he had hundreds watching, it didn’t seem to matter to him. He was letting loose and having fun for fun’s sake, so everyone else wanted to do the same. 

Out of countless other concerts I’ve been to, I could confidently say he’s one of few who genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life. I can only imagine he brings this same amount of positivity and vigor with him on every stage he steps foot on. 

Even during some of his slower songs, when he would play his acoustic guitar, he managed to wow the audience and hold their attention. It was an impressive performance, and his band supported his incredible vocals perfectly. Everyone was in a trance in the Observatory, and that was all thanks to this indie-pop star.

Although I was alone, I actually felt the complete opposite during the performance. Because the Observatory fostered such a comfortable atmosphere, I felt welcomed by those around me. 

I actually struck up a conversation with another solo concert-goer who was ironically standing next to me, and we both talked about how attending alone is a lot less intimidating than it sounds. 

So, if you’ve ever considered having this experience or you just can’t seem to find people to go see your favorite artist, don’t shy away from buying a ticket and going solo. It’s all about having a positive attitude. 

With regards to this particular concert, it would be wrong of me to say I was pleasantly surprised by Still Woozy, because I wasn’t surprised.

I knew he was going to sound exactly like how he does on the radio, wowing people with his dream-like acoustics. However, what I didn’t expect was that the joy deeply embedded within his music would manifest itself directly on stage, right before my eyes. 

When he played “Goodie Bag,” arguably his most popular song, for the encore, I watched the glowing pink and purple lights illuminate his smile as he watched hundreds of people scream his music. Hopefully, those lights illuminated the crowds’ smiles, too, because they were aplenty.

As the final beat dropped and the band ran off stage, I was sad it was time to leave and return to the real world.

The crowds began dispersing to the various exits, but it didn’t take long for multiple screams to pull my attention away from the doors and toward the front. Confused at first, I wasn’t sure what the hype was all about. But, I recognized the blue-clad body that interacted with fans and was laughing and dancing all night. 

Still Woozy couldn’t help himself; he just wanted everyone to have real fun.