Article and Photos by Sofia Byrd
The night before Halloween is a perfect night to party, and last Friday night, that is exactly what fans of Quadeca did. Hundreds of people showed up to Metro in costume, ready to experience their favorite songs off his new experimental album, Life 1, as well as hits from some of his previous works. But above all, they were excited to dance.
From YouTube rap to psychedelic alt-rock to producing, Benjamin Fernando Barajas Lasky, also known as Quadeca, has done it all. After his first EP, Voice Memos, in 2019, he began shifting genres, releasing numerous singles and mixtapes, as well as two concept albums, Scrapyard (2024) and Vanisher, Horizon Scraper (2026), before his most recent release, Life 1, on October 1 of this year.
To kick off the night, Olēka, a Texas-born singer-songwriter and producer, and her band played songs from her debut alt-rock album, Human Error, which came out October 24 via Quadeca's label, X8. Despite this being her first time on tour, her performance felt incredibly personal, like an intimate house show despite the magnitude of the space and sound. Before her last song, "Around the Corner," one audience member screamed, "Just one more!" She certainly left the crowd wanting more.
Next to take the stage was DERBY, an Americana/dream-pop singer-songwriter based in New York. He opened with "Mother Mary," encouraging fans to clap along and jump to the beat. During "Stepping Stone," a song off his new single, BEAMS, fans held up their phone lights, illuminating the band in place of the stage lights. Despite being an opener, the energy from both the stage and the pit was electric.
As the lights went out, fans screamed as the stage began to glow in hues of yellow and orange, and a voice emerged from behind the stage. Quadeca introduced his set by talking about how traversable Chicago is before a range of synths and vocal harmonies began to build for his song, "Life 1 (where did the time go)."
"It is a city of…consideration, honestly, I love Chicago," he said in his opening remarks.
As the instrumentals blared, the piano keys lit up the stage in a cool-toned white in time with the music, creating the illusion of someone playing the keyboard. The stage emanated a sense of euphoria that carried into the crowd below.
As his set continued, the energy quickly shifted from excitement to pure joy. After jumping around the stage for "Regular Guy," Quadeca was joined by Olēka on the flute for an intimate performance of "GODSTAINED." She also sang harmonies alongside Quadeca's melodic vocals.
The show was also filled with crowd engagement. About halfway through the set, Quadeca pulled an audience member onstage after he signaled that it was his birthday. Soon, the room was filled with fans singing to him. Quadeca gave him a hug before he was escorted back into the audience.
Like many shows, there were also a few signs and hecklers between songs. Quadeca comedically pushed through the interruptions by telling the crowd he would play "all their suggestions at once."
Though every song felt incredibly special, one that stood out was "THE GAMBLER" from his most recent album, which tells the story of a terrible guy who loses all his money at a casino. The lyrics are a bit goofy, but the electronic sounds of gambling machines mixed with heavy drums and guitar created an unforgettable experience during the encore. The amount of effort put into the stage design, lighting, and sound for every song was immeasurable, especially during this performance, when the lights mimicked the feeling of an actual casino.
As the final drumbeat rang out during Quadeca's closer, "born yesterday," the stage was left with a sense of tranquility that felt perfectly true to the theme of his album.
