2023 AMERICAN IDOL WINNER, IAM TONGI, JOINS COMMON KINGS AND STEEL PULSE AS A SPECIAL GUEST FOR THE INAUGURAL LEIHOKU FEST UNDER THE OREGON STARS AT THE CUTHBERT AMPHITHEATER
Eugene, OR – 2023 American Idol Winner, Iam Tongi joins Common Kings and Steel Pulse to perform new and classic reggae live in concert at The Cuthbert Amphitheater on Friday, September 15, 2023 with opener Jakobs Castle.
All ages general admission free roaming tickets are currently on sale online at Cascade Tickets and at the Cuthbert Box Office (show nights only) for $50, including City of Eugene facility and parking fees. The Cuthbert box office and gates will open at 4:30 p.m. The concert will begin at 6 p.m.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of 2023 American Idol Winner, Iam Tongi to the Leihoku Fest ticket,” said Brenden Clement, founder of Concert King Events. “Iam’s story is a true representation of the Polynesian voyaging spirit – the essence of Leihoku Fest. Joining Common Kings, Steel Pulse and Jakobs Castle, Iam’s journey brings him to Eugene for a trifecta of world class events – Leihoku Fest, Oregon vs. Hawaii football game and the Nike Prefontaine Classic.”
About Iam Tongi
Iam Tongi had America tearing up from the moment he started singing, “Monster” by James Blunt. An emotional tribute to his father who’d encouraged him to audition for Idol but passed away before he made it in front of the judges, the performance instantly became a viral sensation.
The quiet yet powerful maturity in this 18-year-old Samoan, Tongan from Hawaii’s voice, is unparalleled. An old soul, his beautiful rasp, with a light island influence permeates every note in every song he sings, invariably taking listeners on an emotional journey. Although Iam himself is rarely serious, preferring to approach life with a laugh and a joke, his musical taste and styling shows a depth of range far beyond his years.
In his current single, “I’ll Be Seeing You”, Iam gorgeously laments about the loss of his father. His formidable vocal ability brings a yearning to those moments when, although you’ve lost someone, you realize they are never truly gone; you see them everywhere you look. Iam said, “This song is very beautiful, and it resonates with me, it means a lot to me. It is about my father and if you think about it, this song talks about “I’ll be seeing you wherever I go” because when a loved one passes away you are going to remember them in everyday life. My dad had to go to dialysis and every time we drive past the place, he had to get it done we always point and say, ‘Oh, look, dad.’ We never say, ‘Oh look that’s where he used to get it done’ we always just say ‘dad.’”
