![Reaching out. Christopher Lesh, student at Central Catholic High School, serves ice cream during the event on March 2, 2025, at the Portland waterfront. Central Catholic was just one of the schools that sent student volunteers out to cook, prepare, dish, and serve food. Interact club’s co-president Rachel Gerber, junior, plated the food during the event. “I like how direct the contact is,” Gerber said. “You’re there [and] you’re just doing something good. It’s simple, it’s easy, you can feel good about it.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/interact-1-edited-1200x744.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
*WEB CONTINUATION: This article originally appeared in Volume 105 Issue 2 of our news magazine the Amplifier.
On Dec. 8, 2024 Billie Eilish played a sold out show at the Moda Center. Lined up for Billie Eilish, fans camped around the outer wall of the arena to be first on the floor or to ensure that they were in the building when the concert opener, The Marías, played their first note on Dec. 8, 2024.
From the minute the concert opened, until after the stadium lights brought the fans back to reality, the environment and the music had everyone enjoying the show. After The Marías finished their set and opened up the stage for the main show, there was a long break where the fans burst into a wave that continued for laps around the length of the stadium over and over. The first interaction the fans had with Eilish’s portion of the show was a broadcast she made displayed on the jumbotron encouraging reducing carbon footprints by carpooling, recycling, and using your voice within your environment to make a difference.
When the lights dimmed, smoke machines powered on, and a large glowing box appeared in the center of the stage, the crowd began to roar in anticipation. Soon, Eilish stepped out and began to sing the song “CHIHIRO” from her newest album “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” She then followed it up with “Lunch,” dancing around the entire stage to provide subtle interactions with each section.
“Hello again, Portland,” were the first words she spoke to the crowd. The word “again” was likely used to reference her last show in Portland on May 31, 2019, where she said “This is the biggest venue I’ve ever played in my life.” Five years later she’s on a world tour playing large venues for sold out show after sold out show.
The crowd lit up early on when she began singing “ilomilo,” literally. Blue and red lights illuminated the crowd cast by confetti paper over flashlights. It was a gorgeous display of emotion, connection, and participation from the crowd. The last song of the night was her Grammy nominated song, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” where fans in the pit could be seen holding hands and dancing together in a circle while singing the song about “flocking together.”
I recommend this show to every fan of hers that has the chance to go. There were songs of hers that had a whole different feeling while I watched them live, and made me love them even more. Everyone was dancing, singing, and enjoying every minute. It really feels like Eilish is enjoying the performance and the energy in the space was felt by every person in attendance.
