Rediscovering The Rare Occasions

When I stumbled upon The Rare Occasions name in a long list of artists performing in D.C I was immediately sent back to 2021 when their hit “Notion” went viral on Tiktok. Surprisingly, this was not my first time hearing the song as it had made it’s way into my “Discover Weekly” on Spotify long before its newfound fame. The song was originally released in 2016 so seeing them pick up after so long was amazing. When I saw their name I thought, “You know what, I have to go.”  

As I approached The Atlantis around an hour before showtime, I was met by a small group of teenagers eagerly awaiting to be let in. As time went on a crowd I never expected formed. There was a line down the street of several children with their parents, and by speaking to a few people I found out they were mostly middle and high schoolers; the band had performed at a local high school before this show. I had yet to realize the success which followed from their TikTok fame had mainly targeted such a young demographic. 

The show opened with a performance by Bel and her exceptional guitarist Cole Heramb. I was fortunate enough to be right on the barricade and as they illuminated the stage with Bel’s newest releases, the audience anxiously awaited The Rare Occasions appearance. When Brian, Jeremy and Luke took the stage, the venue came alive. They opened with a loud and exciting medley of music. Each basking in the limelight on their instruments, together the boys made the cramped space feel like they were the only ones in it.

As they rocked on stage, they did a fantastic job of keeping the audience engaged. They switched positions every few songs and in one of their most memorable moments they played a few songs at the front of the stage together, acoustic. In an impressive feat of multitasking, Luke sat in the middle on a cajon drumming to the beat while simultaneously using two shakers, one in the hand not drumming and the other wrapped around his foot. While playing all of these instruments Luke also harmonized along with Jeremy and Brian, creating the most magical moments of the show. 

Finally, the boys closed with none other than “Notion.” The room exploded in song, with every person belting along. The boys held the mic out to hear the audience and they delivered by reciting every word. The concert was a vibrant experience. In such an intimate venue it can be hard to make the space come alive, but The Rare Occasions did exactly that.


Feature image by Isabella Polak