Tay Nay, Manny D, & Chanilla Dominate The Outpost
It’s Chanilla, not Charilla haha
Jan. 5, 2023
Tay Nay, Manny D, and Chanilla brought 2022 to a great close at The Outpost in Kent, Ohio. A venue full of both newcomers and die-hard fans filled the space that December night, everyone buzzing with excitement. I greeted Chanilla at the bar, sat down, and had the pleasure of meeting manager, Deanthony Lynum, and Willoughby artist Manny D. I wasn’t new to The Outpost, having just seen Chanilla’s headlining performance a few months prior, but I had never seen the venue this packed before.
First up was Chanilla with an ode to Halsey with her rendition of New Americana, and later transitions to her original work from her debut album Dear Diary. The jams from her summer project kicked the night off with more of a pop vibe, filling the room with a feel-good sound.
Shortly after her performance was my first time seeing Manny D live. The 25 year old singer/songwriter genuinely wowed me with his charismatic tone, and laid back, west coast-ish sound. His album The MidNight Mind released in November of 2022 and featured gems such as 2am, and Hear Me Now. The project from front to back has very well produced vocals and stuck-in-your-head worthy tracks.
My personal favorite from him has to be his song Vibin Out with Nick Lotzz. The slight raspiness of his voice helps him easily adapt to other genres too and he showcased this tonight with his country song Wild Tonight. I’m usually not a huge fan of this genre, but Manny did such a great job making this song more of a fun experience than a country-bumpkin detour. Let Go (2020) is his most streamed single on his Apple Music profile to date and rightfully so, it's the perfect mix of modern hip-hop and a hint of that raspy twang that works so well together. I hope to hear more experimentation in his projects to come, which you can hear in the transition between his last EP Forever Cursed (2021) to now. He has definitely gained a new fan from me and I hope to see Manny continue to progress in his musical career!
Tay Nay took the stage afterwards, and suddenly everyone who were relaxing and chatting in their seats rushed to the stage with phones out. The visual aesthetic of the show helped set the tone for his set, the UV lighting left everyone’s shoes, hoodies, and wristbands glowing in the dim atmosphere. His light blue hair contrasted against the red lights shining down on him and the crowd.
You could tell off the rip, this fanbase was incredibly loyal. It didn’t matter if he was performing a slower or more up-beat song, the crowd was dancing. Mind you “Thuggish Luv” released just two months before this show and almost everyone in the crowd was shouting the lyrics right back to Tay.
Thuggish Luv
My personal favorite song by is definitely “DWTD,” the days leading up to the show I was looking forward to that performance live more than anything, and he did not disappoint. The song itself is a great one to just blast in your car or even the shower and just scream out the lyrics. I love how stripped down the vocals are with it being just Tay and the guitar throughout the whole song; I think adding any other instrument would’ve taken away from the emotion so apparent within the lyrics.
Tay originally started with a 21-song setlist, but the dedicated crowd requested at the very least two or three encores. Tay performed ‘Drake” towards the end of the night, which was incredibly fitting with the chill beat. There was something powerful about leaving that stage with the lyrics “they don’t know what it’s like to be the man of your city” to end it off. He also performed unleashed music for us, making the experience even more exclusive and interesting.
The support for him was overwhelming, fans young and older, singing and rapping every word. By the end of the show you could tell he was super grateful for everyone who came out.
All the artists’ projects mentioned in this article are available for streaming on both Apple Music and Spotify. Make sure to check them out and support local talent!