The annual Fusion concert, described as a "spoken word, hip-hop and rock concert," is tonight at 9 p.m. in the Dewick-MacPhie dining hall. The concert is a joint effort between the Asian American Alliance, formerly known as the Asian Community at Tufts, and Onyx, Tufts' black literary and visual arts magazine. Asian American musicians will perform for most of the night, but there will also be a poetry slam session, hosted specifically by Onyx.
There are two opening acts for the concert: When It Comes It Comes and Eli Kao. When It Comes It Comes is a band headed by Tufts sophomore Erik Doughty, while Kao is a composer and guitarist from nearby Cambridge.
The main performers for the night are Kit Yan and Melissa Li, musicians from the Boston area. Yan is a transgendered artist from Hawaii who uses slam poetry as a medium for artistic expression. Together with Li, a folk-rocker, Yan has embarked on the Good Asian Drivers tour of the United States. Through their music and poetry, the artists strive to deliver honest portrayals of queer Asian Americans.
Sophomore Addy Tang proposed the idea of Yan and Li coming to Tufts for this annual concert.
"Kit approached us with an interest to perform, and he is very involved in the Boston Asian community," Tang said. "The concert definitely reflects the title Fusion because there is a large mix of performers from the Asian American, African and queer communities."
The Fusion concert is free and open to all with a college ID.
