There is no better accompaniment for a rainy day than an acoustic guitar and a cup of tea. On May 1, I made my way to the Cat in the Cream to see Will Paquin, an artist whose career started unexpectedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. When his classes at Boston University were cancelled, Paquin followed the nationwide trend and dedicated his days to a hobby. He picked up his guitar that he had been playing since he was 8 years old, started posting catchy riffs, and became a TikTok sensation.  

“I was a rugby player at [Boston University], and I tore both my shoulders playing,” Paquin said. “Right before Covid hit, I got surgery and I got [my shoulders] fixed, but I was retired and couldn’t [play] anymore. So I shifted gears and spent all day playing guitar and posting videos, and it took off.”

Perhaps his most recognizable creation, “Chandelier,” currently has over 255 million streams on Spotify. Paquin’s work is characterized by intricate combinations of notes played with fingerstyle guitar. I eagerly anticipated seeing this live as I sat with my oversized cookie and cup of Bengal spice tea.

But first, opening the night were College second-year Eva Fraser and College third-year Maya Levanon in their duo Camellia. 

“Eva and I started singing together last year when we were in ’Round Midnight, and then we started singing on our own,” Levanon said. “We have really similar voices, so the blend is nice.”

In fact, throughout Camellia’s set, there were many moments when I had difficulty figuring out which of the two were singing. Their voices blended together exquisitely, one singing the melody and the other harmonizing with resounding clarity. Neither voice was overpowering the other, and although they were only accompanied by one instrumentalist at a time, the room always felt full. Camellia’s setlist consisted of familiar favorites by Searows, Lizzy McAlpine, and other artists already on my rainy day playlists. I remembered how to escape into quiet thought, embraced by the soft, focused music. 

“We wanted to bring cozy vibes,” Fraser said. “A lot of our songs are kind of sad. They’re very melancholic on this rainy day, and we’re ending our set with a higher energy one.”

Camellia’s performance beautifully set the stage for Paquin’s solo set. With just his voice, guitar,  and tapping of his worn-out Converse as a metronome, Paquin continued the night’s intimate atmosphere. Saida Alphonce, College third-year and a manager at the Cat in the Cream, explained why she brought Paquin to the venue.

“I think [Paquin’s] vibe is very Cat, very acoustic,” she said. “Of course, I heard ‘Chandelier’ on TikTok, as did many of us. … His voice is so low and rich and he harmonizes with his guitar, but he also freestyles a lot on his TikTok and Instagram.”

Paquin might as well call himself and his guitar a duo act, as he showcased immense talent with his fingerpicking. Typically, I gravitate towards lyrics or the song’s main melody when listening to music. However, I could not help but be consumed by the intricacies of Paquin’s instrumentation, analogous to the subtle yet powerful colors reflecting off the edges of various objects on the stage. One technique in particular, circle picking, immediately struck my attention. This efficient technique minimizes wrist movement while capturing a smooth flow of sound through circular motions across the strings. I was amazed at how perfectly he replicated his viral riffs on stage. If he ever struck a wrong note, I didn’t notice it.

At times, the quiet nature of Paquin’s solo show made it feel like I was eavesdropping on a conversation whispered to a close friend. 

“It’s always more nerve wracking when you play [solo],” Paquin said. “Everything feels really close, so I sometimes cave in on myself. It’s a totally different energy [than when I’m playing with a band].”

The lyrics felt like genuine stories, a pattern I have encountered especially while listening to indie singers. So, I was surprised when Paquin explained his songwriting process.

“When I’m writing [a song], it means nothing to me,” he said. “It gains meaning a week, month, or two years later. Sometimes, I resonate with something immediately, but most of the time I don’t know what I was saying until I take a step back. I always end up saying something regardless of whether I’m trying.”

As a listener, I resonated with Paquin’s lyrics throughout the performance. I found myself revisiting memories I had abandoned for the chaos of the semester’s end, remembering loved ones, sheltered paths, and forgotten conversations. This air of nostalgia was enhanced by the day’s gloomy weather. Paquin shared a similar sentiment that he felt while walking around Oberlin before the show.

“Oberlin is a little more Hogwartsy than I was expecting,” Paquin said. “It was kind of a crummy day out there, … [and] I’m three years out of college, so I was reminiscing on the old days of walking across campus.”

Starting his journey in childhood and gaining popularity recently, Paquin has many career milestones awaiting him — a couple less than a week away. On May 14, he will release his first album, Hahaha, and he will begin his Europe tour just two days after.