Song Spotlight: Noël Tsoukalas' Pull the Plug (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Noël Tsoukalas no doubt wishes she had advanced further in American Idol's Season 21 (2023), but her time there left a positive lasting impression none the less. As her WFNM showcase set came to a conclusion at Hotel Ziggy, she told the audience her fond memory when she sang her song "The Girl In Your Story" during the competition, "I was scared out of my pants. Literally about to pee myself. Shaking, having to play piano. I thought I was done for . . . I remember looking Lionel Richie in the eyes. And you know what he told me? 'Girl, you got to keep writing music to the day you die.'" She took that to heart. In 2025, she graduated with a music degree from  Point Loma Nazarene University and released her debut album I Still Hear You. 

Noël Tsoukalas at Hotel Ziggy

This January set was not the first time I crossed paths with Tsoukalas. I previously saw her back in Feb 2024, which was her debut WFNM performance. I will say I was impressed with her vocal talents as I took video of three of her songs that night. I know she played a couple more WFNM sets that year, but I wasn't able to attend those. I noticed that she was on the schedule for 2026 and decided to circle the date. I was not the only one who were eager to catch her set. A couple ladies came up to me and asked, "Do you know when Noël will be singing?"

Noël Tsoukalas at Hotel Ziggy

Tsoukalas power vocals drive her pop driven songs. Of course, I should mention that she had the backing of a full band and they helped blast her first song "Hobby" like a rocket. It provided an energy kicker to her fanbase who screamed loudly at the end. Her song "Better Man" had a country feel, which was a tribute to her Kentucky upbringing. (Growing up, her family moved a lot, Kentucky to Mississippi to Illinois before they finally settled in California.) For "Good as Gone" she had the crowd join her in a sing-a-long, having the sopranos singing certain lyrics while everyone joined in on others. "Punchline" was her Taylor Swift-like song. 

Noël Tsoukalas at Hotel Ziggy

The song spotlight goes to "Pull the Plug." The song Lionel Richie praised for her songwriting skills was "The Girl In Your Story," but also "Pull the Plug" highlights her talents.

And I'm waiting for the sun, but it won't rise
And it's hard to find the stars when they never shine

Noël Tsoukalas at Hotel Ziggy

Who pulled the plug on the relationship? In this storytelling song, it was not Tsoukalas, "Never thought you were the type to throw a blindside."

Setlist: Hobby, Pull the Plug, Oceans, Better Man, Good as Gone, What Friends Are For, Punchline, The Girl In Your Story.