The aroma of fresh popcorn and cotton candy cut through the campus air, as the lunchtime Nanyang Technological University (NTU) crowd made a beeline for the canteen. Breaking away from their norm, the *SCAPE Invasion Tour moved their show out of the school hall and went ‘underground’ in a bid to connect with the milling student population. 

Amidst the carnivalesque atmosphere, the *SCAPE Invasion Tour crew, particularly event emcee 987fm Joakim Gomez, were fighting hard to compete for the students’ attention. His attempts to highlight Invasion Singapore founder/local musician iNCH’s latest single ‘Mousedeer’, off her upcoming EP Letters to Ubin due out on 26 Nov,  managed to pique the interest of the curious passers-by. But it wasn’t until soul songstress Michaela Therese took to the stage that the allure of the surrounding Xbox One gaming stations begun to fade away. 

Though it was a gloomy wet Wednesday, Therese brought a glimmer of sunshine - all decked out in a bright orange top, complimented with a matching coloured scarf. Backed by her drummer and bassist, the L.A.B frontwoman was all smiles as her powerhouse vocals and subtle keyboard skills engulfed the enclosed area. 

Her funky upbeat number ‘Make You Think’ climaxed into a flurry of sound, peaking the curiosity of many passers-by including an elderly faculty member who seemed dazed with fascination. As the song slowly pattered out, Therese’s parting line served as a hushed awakening to the modest round of applause that broke out among the small, yet appreciative pockets of audience.

Passing the musical baton to THELIONCITYBOY (TLCB), the animated 31-year-old rapper managed to keep the ball going. Ever in motion, TLCB’s sick swagger of hand gestures and brash rhymes proved to be the perfect distraction for the hungry NTU students. Stealing all the limelight, TLCB was the name on NTU’s lips as he launched into his banging latest single, ‘All Night’.

Slowly but surely, a growing congregation gathered around the lanky rapper. And it wasn’t long before the MJ-inspired (that’s Michael Jackson to the uninitiated) single started to work its magic. A case of happy feet broke out among the crowd and crew, and TLCB seized the opportunity to join his public by leaving the confines of his performance space. With their hands firmly in the air, the adoring NTU audience erupted in loud shrieks and applause as TLCB’s set came to a close. Sure the lunch hour might had been over, but there was no doubt that the party lived on in the hearts and mind of all NTU students.