Once the attendees were let in, the hall was barely half-filled. Overlooking the big red curtains of the stage, a mother cat and kitten duo playfully wandered around the auditorium for an unscheduled and whimsical first act of the show. Who could have predicted that the hall full of audience would surge to the front, midway through the show, transforming the seated concert into a captivating celebration?

Catching Shohojia in a lineup of different artistes is a common experience for an average concertgoer in Bangladesh. However, attending the band's first solo concert was unheard of until yesterday evening. Founded in 2011, Shohojia has long been recognised as an underrated gem in Bangladesh's music scene. Over the years, the band has released two albums and several iconic songs that have resonated with listeners. After 14 years, yesterday was a special day at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy Auditorium, where they held their first-ever solo concert, "Dhyan".

The concert officially commenced without any prolonged introduction — the quiet hall suddenly came alive with music as the curtains drew back, revealing Shohojia's members: Rajib Ahmed Raju, Zafriye Abedin, Sharfuddin Rabbi, Shajib Hayder, and Shajedul Islam Shimul, on a brightly lit stage, singing "Masranga" from their debut album. The first half of the concert was dedicated to songs, popular and lesser-known, from their first album "Rongmistree".

What truly set this concert apart from Shohojia's usual appearances, was the connection the members fostered with the audience throughout the time. Taking the opportunity to interact with the audience in between songs, the band members connected with us through heartfelt conversations, acknowledgments, and behind-the-scenes stories. Vocalist Raju said, "We dedicate this concert to our friends for whom we are here. There are just five or six of us on stage every time but we are here because of all our friends (the band refers to their fans as their friends)."

Echoing the sentiment, Koushik Mitra from the audience, a long-time fan who had come to the concert with eight of his friends, told The Daily Star, "We are all friends and fans of Shohojia." The group joked about how this was the first time they had to pay for a concert where only Shohojia performed, after all these years. Koushik further added, "We need to give more exposure and support to underground bands even in small venues like this one. Aside from paying so much to foreign artistes in grand concerts, we need to promote our local bands." While the Shishu Academy Auditorium may not be an ideal venue for grand concerts, it stands as a reminder that a thriving music culture requires both artistes and audiences to explore, support, and uplift local talents.

Shohojia eventually told us, their friends, how much they loved us and how special and uplifting the experience was to them all, as a band. Emphasising the beauty of solo concerts, guitarist Shajib shared, "We usually can't play our personal favourite songs which are our band's hidden gems, on all occasions. I am extremely happy to be able to play those here today. We wanted to play for our friends in a homely setting and that's what we got." In reply, a fan from the audience let out a cheery scream saying, "This is the first time we heard Shohojia give a speech!" Seems like we got a solo concert and a speech from Shohojia before GTA-6.

After a brief intermission, Shohojia returned to the stage with their second album, delivering a series of electrifying performances. As the performance of "Jadukor" began, spectators surged to the front and immersed themselves in the atmosphere with unrestrained enthusiasm. As promised, Shohojia also performed its newest song "Obhinoy", one they never performed live before, which was released just the night before on YouTube. In the penultimate performance, with reference to the title of the concert, "Dhyan", the band dimmed all lights and played an unreleased composition for the audience exclusively on the occasion of the concert to transport the audience into a peaceful trance.

With popular songs such as "Fera", "Shobnom", "Chokhe Chokh", and underrated ones such as "Ma", "Chol Jai Chade" and so on, the concert helped Shohojia showcase its genre-blending and eclectic style. After 23 original songs, Shohojia performed their iconic songs "Chhoto Pakhi" and "Boka Pakhi" while a sea of flashlights from everybody's cellphones lit up the entire hall. 

But the night did not end there; due to popular demand, the band performed "Shobnom" a second time to finally call it a night. Supported by Eventholic, Shohojia's first solo concert was a celebration of their music and journey and an exclusive experience with their friends (us).

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