A viral TikTok song can bring lots of new listeners to an artist, but often with the caveat that they only know the 15-second chorus they hear on the app and nothing else. Fortunately for the Brooklyn-based duo of Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo, who perform as Cafuné, the exposure for their 2019 song “Tek It” has translated into some true fans.
Cafuné initially tried to visit the Twin Cities earlier this year when Minnesota’s weather was the polar opposite. Their original tour date — Friday, February 24 — was postponed due to extreme winter weather. In the days leading up to the show, the Twin Cities along with other parts of southern and central Minnesota saw 12-20 inches of snow accompanied by large snow drifts. This past Saturday night’s show, however, came days after the hottest global temperature on record.
At the start of their performance at 7th St Entry, a jazz riff enveloped the room. Drummer Connor Parks started a powerful solo and the crowd roared as Schat, the lead singer, began singing “Least Coast.” Standing behind her usual double mic, she started vocalizing with a familiar auto-tune fans know and love.
After the first couple of songs, an audience member boldly professed, “I love you Noah!” to Yoo, the duo’s producer and guitarist. With true Midwestern politeness another person less enthusiastically exclaimed, “We love you, too” to Schat. Both halves of Cafuné appeared amused and unphased. Schat replied, “Thanks, people are thirsty for Noah,” and ascended into the next track, “High.” With mellifluous vocals accentuated by the autotuned mic, she hit high notes reminiscent of Billie Eilish, and the audience wooed with pleasure as she passionately belted out the last verse.
After taking the mic off its stand, Schat sang “Everyone Knows” with more freedom. Her bandmates followed suit. Yoo’s glasses were sent flying due to him jamming out. Schat seemed to hold back a small chuckle, but flawlessly continued singing with his spectacles in one hand without missing a beat.
The intimate setting allowed Cafuné to interact closely with the crowd. Before playing their soon-to-be-released track “Demise,” Yoo said, “This is gonna be a more special show than when we missed y’all because y’all are going to hear a song they didn’t get to hear … the caveat is that this is the third time we’re playing it so … you know.” The crowd cheered in excitement with one person saying, “Third time’s the charm” as encouragement. The single, which comes out later this month, is about self-destructive tendencies, hence the song title, “Demise.” Despite its subject matter and lyrics, the track was upbeat.
A notable fan favorite was their latest single, “Perspective.” Fans in the front row visibly sang along while attendees in the back rode the vibe. The mood was at the perfect place, so the band implored everyone to participate and clap before the outro of “Talk.”
Schat followed Yoo’s lead and delivered another speech about the following performance of “Empty Tricks.” She cautioned, "On this mini tour, we haven’t played this song in a while … so get ready for that.” Although the band expressed apprehension, they performed the song seemingly without a hitch. You could feel the synergic energy between the band and their fans progressively rising.
As they got closer to the end of their set, Cafuné gave the audience a heads-up that the show would soon be ending. The crowd playfully booed while simultaneously calling for an encore before the concert was even over.
This was the perfect time for the band to play their viral hit, “Tek It.” Almost everyone joined in to sing the last verse with the band. The feelings in the room were as explosive as the cheers.
With three songs left to perform, the band heeds another warning, “We haven’t rehearsed this … [we] haven’t played this song in at least two months.” Appropriately, the lyrics of “Want Me Out” sound like a goodbye song. With its slow pace and acoustic sound, Schat wound down the crowd while singing, “As all the guests get up to leave… / You left me out / You want me out.” It was almost like a signal that the end was near.
Finally, they perform their last song of the night, “Letting Go.” Similarly to “Want Me Out,” it had clues to ease fans into the reality that the show was really over. The song’s melancholy lyrics are accompanied by a fast-paced beat perfectly contradicting the message behind the track. “I won’t follow / I won’t go home / Oh, tomorrow,” sang Schat.
