Solarity is back and more whimsical than ever with this semester’s theme: Secret Garden. The concert, which will take place tonight at the John W. Heisman Club Field House, features openers Violet, a student band, along with two touring artists, Pretty Sick and Sam Austins. The night will conclude with headliner Rebecca Black, who has embarked on a major rebranding after her viral 2011 single, “Friday.”

When thinking about the theme of this semester’s Solarity, College fourth-year and Solarity Co-Chair Maya Levanon wanted to provide a space for connection and community, reflecting on her personal journey being a part of the Solarity committee throughout her Oberlin career. 

“It’s all about friendship and enjoying the summer with your friends,” Levanon said. “It’s a little bit mysterious, but it’s all about the people that you’re with. … Working on Solarity has been so amazing because of the team that we have and getting to plan something with people we care about so much, so Secret Garden was a really beautiful way to celebrate those relationships.”

Opening the night is Violet, led by double-degree fourth-year Leo Wurgaft, along with double-degree Max Kassoy on lead guitar, College fourth-year Liam Campbell on bass, and Conservatory fourth-year Ben Bosler on drums. Playing gigs at Oberlin since fall of 2024, Violet creates an eclectic sound with influences ranging from jazz to punk rock to metal to funk to indie. 

“I wanna make them want to listen to music, dance to music, make music,” Wurgaft said. “I want it to be very intense and joyous. … The energy is always pretty low at the beginning of Solarity — the space is so big, and there’s not that many people. … So, the goal is to play music that’s hard to sit down to, get people to show up, and pique their interest at the start.”

After Violet’s set will be two more opening acts by Pretty Sick and Sam Austins. Formed in 2014, Pretty Sick is an American grunge-rock band with Sabrina Fuentes on vocals and bass, Eva Kaufman on drums, and Benjamin Arauz on guitar. Fuentes draws on the influence of her home in New York City, and her songs center on themes of isolation, urban life, heartbreak, and pain. Sam Austins, whose song, “Seasons,” currently has more than 82 million streams on Spotify, will follow.  Austins’ music can be described as dreamy, fusing genres like hip hop and alt rock to create a unique sound.

With four different acts, Solarity stands out as the largest concert of the semester organized by students. To College first-year Saman Gurung, it has been one of this spring’s most anticipated events.

“Compared to what we have in The ’Sco, Solarity is much bigger and gives much more concert vibes,” Gurung said. “I feel like Rebecca Black’s [set] will be something to forget the finals stress and dance with your friends, and that’s what I’m excited about.”

Although most know Black as the meme of 2011, she shifted gears in 2018 to pursue the art of DJing at large festivals like Coachella. College third-year Sabrina Ferron, a member of the Solarity committee, explained her excitement about this big name coming to Solarity’s stage.

“I think people’s curiosity about Rebecca Black is really gonna help draw an audience because she was someone that a lot of people knew about years and years ago, and then kind of fell off the radar, and now she’s coming back a lot,” Ferron said. “I’m excited for people to see how she has changed as an artist.” 

College fourth-year Ethan Rosen expressed a similar sentiment.

“Of course, I know her hit single, ‘Friday,’” he said. “In recent years, after becoming an object of ridicule for a long time, I think she owned her meme status in a really chill way. … I’ve seen some clips of [her DJ sets,] and they were pretty good. I wonder what we’ll see at this set. Probably not ‘Friday.’ Maybe she’ll do a remix.”

Solarity: Secret Garden will feature a flower crown making station, a photobooth, and free froyo and bubble tea from 8:30–10:30 p.m. Doors open at Heisman Field House at 8:30 p.m., and music starts at 9. 

“When you enter Heisman, you’re entering a secret garden and entering that other world,” Levanon said. “We really wanted [Solarity] to be an environment where you can forget about everything else and be in the moment with your friends. … We really want this to be a celebratory night for everyone who’s about to leave, whether it’s for a few months or forever.”