Last year, the Amplifying Solidarity series took place in an empty Northrop Auditorium with audiences tuning in virtually. This year, with University vaccine and mask mandates in place, audiences have been enjoying the performances in person on Northrop Plaza.

Starting with a performance from multi-instrumentalist Daniel James Felton on Thursday, Aug. 26, the series highlights the work of Black and Indigenious artists in Minnesota through four outdoor shows, all taking place on the Northrop Plaza.

The second show, Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora, happened on Thursday, Sept. 2. The group delivered a blend of music and poetry following the release of their new project, “SHOW UP”. The plaza was flooded with first-years wearing their signature Welcome Week CSE shirts, leaving the auditorium after an event, sitting around, listening to the funk and R&B tunes on the mall.

“It feels good to feel that live energy again and share that with other human beings,” Davis said immediately after his performance.

Davis was not alone in that feeling.

Kristen Brogdon, Northrop’s Programming Director, was also present at Davis’ show. Brogdon was responsible for selecting the artists for Amplifying Solidarity.

“It’s not easy to replace that connection that can happen in person,” Brogdon said.

On Thursday, Sept. 9, local artist Lady Midnight will take the stage at the Amplifying Solidarity series to showcase some of her new music. For her, the lack of in-person events during the pandemic spurred a sort of personal reckoning.

“As a performer you get used to having that validation, especially from a crowd,” she explained, “I was depending on that interaction to understand who I was.”

With the return of in-person shows this summer, Lady Midnight kept what she learned during the height of the pandemic in the back of her head. “What I know that I can do, that maybe other people can’t, is to be able to hold space for expression. Coming back to in-person performances, I don’t have as much of a need to be validated by anyone else,” she said.

The excitement for the upcoming concert season shared by artists and organizers is tinged with worry about the ever-looming Delta variant.“Part of me’s like, ‘Are we really out of this yet?’” Davis said.

Kat Keljik, Northrop’s Campus and Community Engagement Coordinator, is tasked with helping to communicate and serve Northrop’s ever-expanding audience. Her concerns not only stem from a health perspective but also a logistical one.

“If state policy or University policy changes really quickly, there’s a lot of communication that will have to go to our 2,000 audience members,” explained Keljik, “And I’m worried about the obvious: If we have to shut down again and cancel shows, that would be really devastating for the artists who depend on this as their livelihood.”

The Amplifying Solidarity series will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 16 with a performance from The Milanesians, a musical group of Micronesian climate refugees who now reside in Milan, Minnesota. The series is only the beginning for Northrop’s busy schedule. The six month long dance series commences on Saturday, Oct. 2 with an event from the Lindy Hop group Swing Out. Other shows on the horizon include musician Rufus Wainwright on Thursday, Sept. 23 and comedian Hasan Minhaj on Thursday, Sept. 30.

“We just want to welcome people back and have them join us,” Keljik said.