Maggie Collins 

Arts and Entertainment Editor 

Photo credit: Apple Music 

Music is a unique art form that resonates with our souls in a way that transcends time and boundaries. It is a universal language without the necessity to understand a song’s words. The notes and rhythms can tell you what you need to know and feel. I experienced that last Friday night, April 19, at one of Abbie Gamboa’s Pure Nights concerts.  

Gamboa is most known for her time with the Christian music group Upperroom, but she released her solo album, Pure, in May 2023. The album is simple, raw, and pure in its writing and performance.   

The concert last week was the first time she performed the album live, creating much more than just a concert. The show was at Liberty University’s LaHaye Event Center, and the room was filled with adults, young and old alike, all seeking to be a part of this special moment. Consistent with the album’s theme, there were no fancy lights or technology. Gamboa sat on a bar stool and sang, allowing everyone to have an intimate experience.   

After the session, Gamboa spent hours meeting and taking pictures with fans. During this time, the rest of her band ran the merch table. Her merch consisted of various shirts, jackets, and pants, all thrifted items with logos hand stitched by the band somewhere on the item. There is a unique beauty to genuine and humble artists. Despite the success she has experienced from Pure and Upperroom, everything from the merch to the environment to the fan interactions was wholeheartedly pure.   

While she did not play every song on the album, Gamboa debuted three additional new songs. One was a cover, another, called “There Goes That Man,” will be released soon, and the last is still in the writing process. The unfinished song is from a 2017 voice memo about her parents getting divorced and her dad getting remarried. The song and its story were special moments for those in the room and created a space for vulnerability between Gamboa and the audience.  

Students can so easily get caught up in the hustle of life, especially at this time of year. We finish one task and jump to the next, rarely taking a break to check our physical and mental health. Moments like this concert help ground me back into my faith and restore the peace that seems almost impossible to find in this world. If music helps bring you to a place of stillness and rest, I recommend taking an hour to listen to this album. You can listen to Pure on streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music.