On April 6, indie-pop band The Aces graced the John M. Greene stage as part of Smith’s annual Celebrations, an event dedicated as a response to the homophobic and transphobic vandalization of Smith’s Quadrangle 32 years ago. Since then, Celebrations has become a tradition to honor and unite the queer community with performances, music, dancing, poems and a candlelight vigil. Celebrations does not usually include a concert, but this year was different with the regular quad gathering and a concert on a separate day.
WOZQ Party DJ Shawn Barnett ’25 opened for The Aces, playing a blend of soul and house music. Later in her set, she played “I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross. Concert-goers left their seats to gather in the spacious front row, dancing and singing their hearts out with their friends and partners. When asked how it felt to open for The Aces, Barnett responded, “It felt weird because I don’t exactly match their vibe, but I’m just glad that I could get people up and dancing because that’s what I love to do.”
After the crowd was ushered back to their seats, the purple stage lights came on and The Aces began filing out; they were met with ecstatic screams.
During one transition between songs, lead singer Cristal Ramirez explained how they were a gay band, which was met with roaring applause and cheers — very on brand for the very queer historically women’s college that Smith is. Ramirez went on to say, “Besides McKenna … she’s giving ally” with a flick of her wrist.
When learning that Northampton is considered the lesbian capital in the US, Ramirez exclaimed how happy she was to have performed here, especially at Smith College.
After the show, Ramirez spoke about her experience in Northampton. She explained they hadn’t been to this part of Massachusetts before outside of Boston, but they walked around Paradise Pond. Ramirez loved seeing Queer Rock, and when learning about the rock and parties that are held there, she responded with: “that’s awesome.”
The band closed with “Stuck”, which the crowd consumed with the most energy of the concert. Nearly every person was jumping to the upbeat track in unison with wide smiles, absorbing their last moments with the band.
Once the room went dark and the band left, the crowd began chanting for an encore, stomping their feet as if in the bleachers at a basketball game. The crowd screamed in unanimous joy as the band returned and “Waiting for You” began.
The Aces’ LGBTQ+ identities made their Celebrations performance all the more meaningful, as queerness is an integral part of their music. The band grew up together in Provo, Utah, as part of the Mormon church where queerness was not accepted. On their first album, “Under My Influence,” they avoided using gendered pronouns, but have since grown comfortable singing about girls and their queer experiences, like in their hit single “Girls Make Me Wanna Die.” This track is a nod to the young queer experience of being painfully in love with your best friend.
Jaden Gerard ’24 responded, “Celebrations is indicative of a lot of the progress we’ve made and how much we have to do going forward. And by we, I mean the LGBTQ community. I think it is an opportunity to draw attention to issues that are really important and also to celebrate the queer community.”
Their music has helped with listeners’ queer acceptance, which was a common theme among the concert-goers. When asked how she became acquainted with The Aces, Smith’s WOZQ Radio Station Manager, Suzanna Strauss ’24, said, “I was trying to find my identity as a queer person. I knew Cristal and Alisa were gay and made gay music, which I thought was awesome. I listened to them a lot in high school, a time when I needed more gay people in my life. I didn’t know a lot of other like queer artists, so they definitely were a big influence.”
Smith students have also connected to The Aces from their own queer relationships. Ixchel Quinn Cruz ’26 said, “I found out about The Aces from my partner in 2019, and have been a fan ever since.” Audrey Farrell ’25 found the concert being at Smith especially meaningful and said, “Since coming to Smith, I’ve found my queer identity and the fact that The Aces are here and I get to be here with my partner is the most exciting thing to happen this semester.”
Students from the other Five Colleges made the trek to see the concert. From Mount Holyoke, Maya Levy ’24 came to see The Aces for the fourth time wearing their merch. They saw The Aces open for 5 Seconds of Summer in 2018 and “couldn’t stop screaming about how hot they were.”
A week after the event, concert-goers still raved about the experience. Cassie Lee ’26J said, “I am in awe of The Aces performance. Not only are they my favorite artists but their stage presence was felt by the entire audience. Hands down, one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. I definitely have post-concert sadness a week later but I’m so grateful to have witnessed The Aces live at Smith.”
Yena Perice ’26J said, “So sexy. I died.” This seemed to be a common theme.The Aces are releasing their highly anticipated fourth album “I’ve Loved You For So Long” on June 2, 2023. They are expected to tour again this year, with dates soon to be announced.
