Concerts of 2015 - Best and Worst
The Year (& Years) of Concerts
This is a bit of an abbreviated month for me, as I'm leaving for 2 weeks in Argentina/Chile on the 21st. Missing Christmas AND New Years here at home is both terrifying and exciting for me (Christmas Day is by far the best family tradition we have....but I'm only taking 6 days off of work so BOOYA!). Anyway, I'm here to begin my most beloved blog posts:
THE LISTS!!!
Last year I did favorite movies of the year AND favorite concerts of the year, but my indie movie going buddy has moved to the great north (NYC) and abandoned me. Therefore, I haven't seen all the indie movies I'd like to. I'm still recruiting - I need to see Carol. I NEED TO, ya hear me?? Apply within.
So this year, not counting festivals, I saw ~15 concerts. Maybe I'm forgetting some. Counting festivals though, I saw 59...let's round up to 60. Now I know where all my money is going. (When I add those up with Nats games...let's just say it ain't pretty)
BEST:
By best, I mean...well, my experience at the show was best. The User Experience, if you will (and I will, too). This is not to say I like, say, Magic Man better than the Chainsmokers, but perhaps I had a better experience at MM (and I did).
I remember this just being oodles of fun. We had a delightful group, we knew all the words, the venue was intimate, and the lead singer of Magic Man is hot af. Dream man. We weasled our way up to the front of the pack and sang Catherine, Texas, and Paris like our lives depended on it.
Fun fact: Apparently Paris was the first song I listened to in 2015 (Thanks Spotify!)
If something is uber meaningful to my family, I typically get all warm and fuzzy about it, regardless of how I might really feel about it. So, knowing that Caroline was getting to see the Killers finish out Firefly made me a happy camper. She's been a true fan since way back when; I think I've known her favorite band was the Killers since I was in the 8th grade. In that same time period, I've flip flopped on lots of different "favorites" (Simple Plan was a rough time of my life). She held strong, though. Turned out, too, that I knew loads of Killers songs, many more than I thought I did! Win win.
But anyway, they KILLED it, pun intended. Okay, they came out about 30 minutes late, it was Sunday night so we were all just tryna get home, but once they began, all annoyances disappeared. The Killers were definitely my favorite show at Firefly and deserve a spot in my expert opinion of 2015's top shows.
The first time I saw them, well, I never actually saw them. My group was packed in like sardines at U Street Music Hall and we got there late, so we were in the back, behind tall dudes, and I never got to so much as glimpse Olly at all. Plus, they didn't even have a full album yet. We were basically going off of King and Desire, and we were LITERALLY salivating for more. No lie, the first time I heard King, I stopped everything I was doing (at work), turned and stared at Spotify. I'd never heard anything like it before! It mesmerized me. Also, it sounded like it sampled some of the Zelda theme music and I immediately felt a weird connection to it. I do this. I take songs very seriously, to the point where I have a list of songs that I feel represent me and I demand they get played at my funeral. King is one of them. After Y&Y released their full length album (July 10, I'll never forget it, I had a listening party for it), I added Eyes Shut to the list. I dream of the music videos I could make for this song. I'm a very very sad individual.
Two months after the album dropped, they came to the 930 Club, and we got there early enough to be able to see our boy Olly. Also, we were a lil tipsy (let it be known: this was the last time I drank before I began my no drinking experiment), thus leading us to form a giant circle, clutch each other tightly and sing Eyes Shut at the top of our lungs. I learned recently that people were taking photos of our group...guess they were jealllyyyyy. It was a moment I'll never forget. Ron, Dane and I recreated the moment on a rooftop in Admo a few weekends ago...so beautiful, so touching.
TL DR? Years & Years took over my 2015 and blew everything else out of the water. Spotify proof right here:
Can't say I'm more than a casual Marina fan. I like her fine, but what I was most excited about seeing was her set. I'd heard magical things about it. Good news: it lived up to the hype. Her stage had 2 giant screens, one on top of the other, with a platform on top of the bottom on, making a sort of stage. Her band sat up there, and she moved in between the two. Her setlist was broken up into 3 parts, one for each of her albums, and the screens for each section were a graphic designer's dream: crazy images, videos, beautiful colors, even a full Betty Boop movie that went along with a song. I don't know how else to describe it other than Funky.
Smallpools are my bbs. This was time numero 4 seeing them, and they seem to have the whole showman thing down, maybe due to the fact that they officially have more than 4 songs! Their first album came out this summer. They opened with epic, classical music, then dove straight into Over and Over, never missing a beat. At one point they mashed up Human by the Killers with their song Karaoke, and launched giant Orca inflatables into the crowd for Killer Whales. I seem to remember a campfire being up on stage at one point too. They're just a lot of fun, I'd see them again any day.
I'll keep it short and sweet: Lauren Mayweather, the lead singer of Chvrches, has the voice of an angel. She makes me rethink my life on a daily basis. I'd do anything for her. ... Anything. ANYTHING. Their new album came out the day before Landmark Fest and it was delightful to frantically listen to it on repeat to prepare.
Those were my faves. Honorable mentions go to Zedd at Firefly (5k glowstick drop woop woop), Ryn Weaver, and Betty Who/Kiesza.
Worst? There can only be one...
Halloween
Maybe I'm being a little harsh, and it wasn't technically the Chainsmokers that I truly disliked, it was the people. The crowd. Not to be mean, but these people were scum of the earth. There's no way they had a childhood - no, they emerged from the ground as 19 year old professional EDM goers. Sorry Chainsmokers, I thought I could hang...but the experience of worst concert goes to you. I loved my group I went with, of course, going as a group of Disney Channel Original Movies is sheer happiness. But having sweaty shirtless dudes with fake tattoos dripping off their backs while rubbing up against me is just no longer my idea of fun. Is it anyone's idea of fun? Let's have a discussion.
There it is, folks. 2015: good year for shows! Great year for festys! Bad year for trying to get into EDM!
This is a bit of an abbreviated month for me, as I'm leaving for 2 weeks in Argentina/Chile on the 21st. Missing Christmas AND New Years here at home is both terrifying and exciting for me (Christmas Day is by far the best family tradition we have....but I'm only taking 6 days off of work so BOOYA!). Anyway, I'm here to begin my most beloved blog posts:
THE LISTS!!!
Last year I did favorite movies of the year AND favorite concerts of the year, but my indie movie going buddy has moved to the great north (NYC) and abandoned me. Therefore, I haven't seen all the indie movies I'd like to. I'm still recruiting - I need to see Carol. I NEED TO, ya hear me?? Apply within.
So this year, not counting festivals, I saw ~15 concerts. Maybe I'm forgetting some. Counting festivals though, I saw 59...let's round up to 60. Now I know where all my money is going. (When I add those up with Nats games...let's just say it ain't pretty)
BEST:
By best, I mean...well, my experience at the show was best. The User Experience, if you will (and I will, too). This is not to say I like, say, Magic Man better than the Chainsmokers, but perhaps I had a better experience at MM (and I did).
MAGIC MAN + PANAMA WEDDING
March at the Black Cat.I remember this just being oodles of fun. We had a delightful group, we knew all the words, the venue was intimate, and the lead singer of Magic Man is hot af. Dream man. We weasled our way up to the front of the pack and sang Catherine, Texas, and Paris like our lives depended on it.
Fun fact: Apparently Paris was the first song I listened to in 2015 (Thanks Spotify!)
THE KILLERS
June at Firefly in Dover, DEIf something is uber meaningful to my family, I typically get all warm and fuzzy about it, regardless of how I might really feel about it. So, knowing that Caroline was getting to see the Killers finish out Firefly made me a happy camper. She's been a true fan since way back when; I think I've known her favorite band was the Killers since I was in the 8th grade. In that same time period, I've flip flopped on lots of different "favorites" (Simple Plan was a rough time of my life). She held strong, though. Turned out, too, that I knew loads of Killers songs, many more than I thought I did! Win win.
But anyway, they KILLED it, pun intended. Okay, they came out about 30 minutes late, it was Sunday night so we were all just tryna get home, but once they began, all annoyances disappeared. The Killers were definitely my favorite show at Firefly and deserve a spot in my expert opinion of 2015's top shows.
YEARS & YEARS (the second time)
September at the 930 Club.The first time I saw them, well, I never actually saw them. My group was packed in like sardines at U Street Music Hall and we got there late, so we were in the back, behind tall dudes, and I never got to so much as glimpse Olly at all. Plus, they didn't even have a full album yet. We were basically going off of King and Desire, and we were LITERALLY salivating for more. No lie, the first time I heard King, I stopped everything I was doing (at work), turned and stared at Spotify. I'd never heard anything like it before! It mesmerized me. Also, it sounded like it sampled some of the Zelda theme music and I immediately felt a weird connection to it. I do this. I take songs very seriously, to the point where I have a list of songs that I feel represent me and I demand they get played at my funeral. King is one of them. After Y&Y released their full length album (July 10, I'll never forget it, I had a listening party for it), I added Eyes Shut to the list. I dream of the music videos I could make for this song. I'm a very very sad individual.
Two months after the album dropped, they came to the 930 Club, and we got there early enough to be able to see our boy Olly. Also, we were a lil tipsy (let it be known: this was the last time I drank before I began my no drinking experiment), thus leading us to form a giant circle, clutch each other tightly and sing Eyes Shut at the top of our lungs. I learned recently that people were taking photos of our group...guess they were jealllyyyyy. It was a moment I'll never forget. Ron, Dane and I recreated the moment on a rooftop in Admo a few weekends ago...so beautiful, so touching.
TL DR? Years & Years took over my 2015 and blew everything else out of the water. Spotify proof right here:
MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS
November at the Lincoln TheatreCan't say I'm more than a casual Marina fan. I like her fine, but what I was most excited about seeing was her set. I'd heard magical things about it. Good news: it lived up to the hype. Her stage had 2 giant screens, one on top of the other, with a platform on top of the bottom on, making a sort of stage. Her band sat up there, and she moved in between the two. Her setlist was broken up into 3 parts, one for each of her albums, and the screens for each section were a graphic designer's dream: crazy images, videos, beautiful colors, even a full Betty Boop movie that went along with a song. I don't know how else to describe it other than Funky.
SMALLPOOLS
September at 930 ClubSmallpools are my bbs. This was time numero 4 seeing them, and they seem to have the whole showman thing down, maybe due to the fact that they officially have more than 4 songs! Their first album came out this summer. They opened with epic, classical music, then dove straight into Over and Over, never missing a beat. At one point they mashed up Human by the Killers with their song Karaoke, and launched giant Orca inflatables into the crowd for Killer Whales. I seem to remember a campfire being up on stage at one point too. They're just a lot of fun, I'd see them again any day.
CHVRCHES
September at Landmark FestivalI'll keep it short and sweet: Lauren Mayweather, the lead singer of Chvrches, has the voice of an angel. She makes me rethink my life on a daily basis. I'd do anything for her. ... Anything. ANYTHING. Their new album came out the day before Landmark Fest and it was delightful to frantically listen to it on repeat to prepare.
Those were my faves. Honorable mentions go to Zedd at Firefly (5k glowstick drop woop woop), Ryn Weaver, and Betty Who/Kiesza.
Worst? There can only be one...
CHAINSMOKERS
EchostageHalloween
Maybe I'm being a little harsh, and it wasn't technically the Chainsmokers that I truly disliked, it was the people. The crowd. Not to be mean, but these people were scum of the earth. There's no way they had a childhood - no, they emerged from the ground as 19 year old professional EDM goers. Sorry Chainsmokers, I thought I could hang...but the experience of worst concert goes to you. I loved my group I went with, of course, going as a group of Disney Channel Original Movies is sheer happiness. But having sweaty shirtless dudes with fake tattoos dripping off their backs while rubbing up against me is just no longer my idea of fun. Is it anyone's idea of fun? Let's have a discussion.
There it is, folks. 2015: good year for shows! Great year for festys! Bad year for trying to get into EDM!
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