Students lined up hours early at the Cactus Café entrance Monday, hoping to score one of just 120 wristbands to see Casey Thai Luong, professionally known as Keshi. Excited fans, some attending their first live concert, gathered hoping to experience the singer-songwriter up close in this setting. 

Keshi returned to his alma mater on Monday for an intimate conversation and acoustic performance hosted by Longhorn Live at the Cactus Café. Keshi graduated with a BSN in 2017, and then transitioned from a healthcare path to a flourishing music career, now an acclaimed singer, songwriter and producer. The event provided students with rare, up-close insight into Keshi’s professional journey and allowed them to enjoy his music in a quaint campus venue.

For Mariam Jalloh, an informatics freshman, the concert gave her an experience she always dreamed of. 

“I’d always told my friends I wanted my first concert to be an intimate venue,” Jalloh said. “I wanted it to be standing room only, (general admission). But I just hadn’t had the opportunity yet. This time the stars just aligned — everything worked out. … We weren’t even allowed to use our phones.”

Joseph Park, a biomedical engineering senior and president of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, found the event particularly meaningful, having followed Keshi since 2019. 

“The event coordinator reached out to us and said, ‘Your organization is invited,’ and that’s how I found out,” Park said. “I made sure all our members found out by today.”

Another SASE member, supply chain management junior Alan Tong, waited in line five hours playing Hay Day before the 5 p.m. event to secure a spot. 

“(Keshi’s) a really cool artist,” Tong said. “I’ve been listening to him for a long time now, and I’ve seen acoustic performances on YouTube, but it’ll be nice to see it live.”

Students exchanged Austin pho recommendations, memories of nights out on Dirty Sixth and skincare tips. The singer reminisced about his college years, particularly the bittersweet feeling of graduating.

“It was cathartic,” Keshi said. “It felt like my life was about to start. It was sad — I cried. I was really sad about leaving all my roommates … the memories with your friends are very special. They won’t disappear.”

During the conversation and Q&A portion, he recounted a pivotal moment in his sophomore year, performing around Texas and realizing something in his artistry was missing. 

“I quickly realized, ‘What I’m doing right now isn’t good enough,’” Keshi said. “I had to go soul-search and figure out what real artistry meant for me. Once I figured that out, things started to align.”

Jalloh said the conversation and concert allowed her to recognize Keshi’s charisma. She felt drawn in by his presence and energy throughout the experience.

“I was laughing along with him, and then he started singing, and I was like, ‘I cannot believe I get to be here because of UT. Where else would this happen?’” Jalloh said.