Wale

Last week, D.C native Wale took over Nashville’s legendary Cannery Ballroom. The 1000-capacity standing room venue was completely sold out days before the show, and fans showed up and showed out for this long-awaited night.  The rapper brought the heat, performing old classics and newer hits on the Wow…That’s Crazy tour. 

I entered the venue only 15 minutes after doors opened, and I was immediately shocked at how packed the place was.  The line to get in the building was wrapped around the door, full of eager fans decked out in the hottest fashion trends. The sold-out show brought out many long-time fans of the celebrated rapper.  The energy in the room was electric, and the show hadn’t even begun.  I mentally prepared myself for a night full of good drinks, better beats, lots of hype, and of course, the soundtrack from my childhood (sorry, Mom).

The lights dimmed and Wale, with a presence that’s larger than life, stepped out on stage, sporting 003’s by John Geiger, as well as designer shades, and the crowd lost it. 

Wale got the crowd jumping like only someone who’s been in the game for over a decade could do.   He came in hot with his hit song, Lotus Flower Bomb, with fans screaming his name between every line he delivered, and that same energy, excitement, and passion could be felt in the room from beginning to end. 

Shortly into his set, Wale pauses for a moment to set the tone for the night: one of humility and gratitude and celebration.  The artist expressed how happy he was that many of his fans are black, and that black = BEAUTIFUL.  In the past, he’s never shied away from speaking on hot topics such as race, which is one of the reasons his fans are happy to support him in his musical career.

He goes on to perform more of his classic hits, including a fan favorite, My PYT, and finishes the show with more classics he’s been featured on.  One song in particular, No Hands, got every single person in the crowd on their feet and nodding to the music, and it was instantly like I had been transported back into my freshman year in high school when this was one of the first songs I had downloaded onto my iPod.      

Near the end of the night, Wale thanked old and new fans for coming out and supporting him, and reiterated how special one’s blackness is and how it should be celebrated.  I’m counting down the days until Wale’s next tour, and am hoping to see this legend perform in Nashville again soon.

Broadside//Sum 41

So, I’m breaking away from my typical “never heard of these guys” posts to write a little bit about middle-school-emo-kid-me’s old favorite band, Sum 41. This was a name I had almost forgotten about, so I was unbelievably stoked to hear they were coming to Nashville for the last let of their tour. Thanks for letting me write a more general review instead of my typical “going in blind” posts, and I promise we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled program of that next time!

Last night, the veteran punk rock legends of the North took The Cowan in downtown Nashville by storm, sending the packed house of faithful fans into absolute chaos as they danced, jumped, moshed, and crowd-surfed the night away! This southern stop stood as one of Sum 41’s final shows of the calendar year, and they pulled out all the stops for their die-hard fans, from classic anthems, to brand new music, and all the in-between hits we’ve come to know and love.

Opening for the Canadian rock band was Broadside, an up-and-coming pop punk band from Virginia.  Their spectacular set was full of amplified energy, with one catchy hit after another.  Lead singer Oliver Baxxter’s voice provided the “pop”, while guitarist’s Dorian Cooke’s voice was definitely the “punk” aspect of the equation.  Prior to tonight, I had never heard of this band.  Now, however, they’ve earned a permanent spot on at least a couple of “angsty” playlists.  Toward the end of their set, Baxxter explained that a simple YouTube video they uploaded some time ago is what got them to where they are now, and he humbly thanked the cheering fans in the packed out crowd.  Seeing artists so truly appreciative of their fans is always a refreshing experience, and Baxxter’s “thank you” was appreciated and well-received by the crowd.

After the killer opening performance was completed and Sum 41’s equipment was all set up, the lights cut off and the crowd grew silent, anticipation rising as we all waited for the five-piece to take the stage.  The energy in the air was palpable and the fans were animated.  As the band made their way to their places, and the lights came up and silhouetted them as they began the first song of the night.  They chose to open with “Turning Away,” the leading song on their new album, Order in Decline.  The crowd went wild from that moment on, with many die-hard fans singing every word to every song. It was amazing to sit back and take in the crowd having the time of their lives.

Lead singer Deryck Wimbley’s voice sounded like it did the day I heard the hit song Still Waiting for the first time over ten years ago, full of energy and grit.  Drummer Frank Zummo kept the energy going up until the very end of the show, smiling at the crowd while keeping the beats strong and steady, while guitarist Dave Brownsound delivered some great guitar solos that will be remembered (at least by me) for quite awhile.

The band went all in when it came to their production, with a great light show, an animated screen displaying their name and their new album’s art, and high-intensity smoke machines that transformed the packed venue into a perfect place to get wild.  These elements added so much allure to the experience and kept things interesting for the entire set, while providing a great atmosphere for lots of crowd surfing and mosh-pitting (yes, I do believe I just made up a new word).

Forty-effing-one!

Thankfully, the guys made sure to include some old school fan favorites, including Fat Lip and In Too Deep.  Their set ended with what might be their most recognizable song, Still Waiting, before the crowd begged and pleaded for an encore.  They came out once again, to everyone’s surprise, to perform two more songs for us before exiting the stage for good.  As I left, I bumped into many people who mentioned how great the show was and that they can’t wait for the next one. Sum 41 = 10/10. 

Fans loved it, I loved it, we all loved it. Guys, please come back to Nashville soon!

Maddy O'Neal//SunSquabi

Today's blog post content brought to you by my dear friend, Michelle, who recommended these artists to me! When she told me about a show she was heading to that night, I was so down to accompany her.

We all have triangle tattoos so that means we’re all cool, right?

Michelle and I arrived at the venue about 30 minutes before the show is scheduled to start, so as we popped in, she introduced me to her friend, Maddy O'Neal. Maddy is an electronic artist from Denver, CO who is currently making waves in a very male-dominated industry. What else can I tell you about her? She's literally one of the nicest people I have ever come across. Within 5 minutes of meeting her, I was backstage at the venue hanging out with her and her crew and having the time of my life!

Das my girl, doin’ her thang

As it got closer to time for Maddy to go on, the crowd began to make their way to the stage, carrying glow sticks, hula hoops, and other flashing things (gloves, maybe? I have no idea). I stood in the back for quite awhile, watching as Maddy dominated the stage and began to do her thing. As the energetic music began to play, everyone started to dance with each other, friends or strangers, it didn't seem to matter here.

Everybody was gloooooow stick dancin’

I had never been to an electronic show before, so I had ZERO idea of what to expect. I spent quite a lot of time hanging around in the back, just people watching, which is one of my favorite things to do at shows. I wasn't mad at it. After awhile, a group of kind strangers invited me to dance with them, and who can say no to kind strangers? I danced. Badly, but it happened. If anyone out there has video evidence of this, please delete it, thanks. It turns out, I actually really enjoy electronic music.

Normally I would put lyrics here, but…ya’know

The performance Maddy put on for us was nothing short of incredible. The room was feeding off her energy and, in turn, having an absolute blast. They layered melodies and mechanical beats in the music she played had the whole crowd jumping for her entire set.

The most packed I’ve ever seen this venue!

After Maddy's performance, it was finally time for SunSquabi to do their thing. The three-member electronic group (also from CO) performs their hearts out at their live shows, in which they are most proud of. Their shows are always unique, and they are sure to switch things up and perform their best, whether it's for a crowd of six or six hundred.

Good musicians AND good dudes?!

The best part about the SunSquabi show? $1 per ticket sold on this tour is donated to the Can'd Aid Foundation. This foundation supplies people with everything from clean water to musical instruments, through what they call “people powered do-goodery.” I'm always down for some do-goodery, and anyone who uses their platform to enrich the lives of others has my respect. Keep it up, boys.

More hair goalz

SunSquabi combines instruments with technology in all of their performances, which produces a rich, unique sound that the crowd ate up entirely. At any given moment, there was a mixture of drums, bass, guitar, synth, and other technology that I don't even know how to describe playing to create a one-of-a-kind show everyone seemed to enjoy.

Again, lyrics would normally be here

As the trio performed, the audience, clad in fluorescent glow-stick jewelry and cool light up gloves, danced and yelled for more after each break in song. SunSquabi did not disappoint, as they played well into the night. Was I late to work the next morning because of the show? Maybe. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

Up all night jamming and late to work the next day? Oh well, we had fun.

OWEL//Have Mercy//The Early November

Wow, this thing took off pretty quickly. I saw that my friend Anthony’s favorite band was going to be playing at a local venue in less than a week and figured this was pretty much the perfect opportunity for me. Emailed the venue manager to ask for a photo pass, who then emailed the artist’s manager, who then emailed me back (shockingly) – I had permission to shoot.

Oh yeah, the band. The band is The Early November, and I have, admittedly, only listened to one song from them (Ever So Sweet) up until this point. When Anthony showed me this song months ago, I was actually really into it and added it to my “Sad Songs” playlist. Yes, I have a playlist for songs that I listen to when I WANT to cry and cut my hair shorter over a minor inconvenience.

I’m just a sad, sad girl, okay?

The show was on a Tuesday and started at 8, but because of who I am as a person I got to the venue right at 6:05. On time is late, amiright? Admittedly, I was a bit nervous since I had never been to the venue, The Basement East, before. It ended up becoming one of my all-time favorite small venues, but you don't care about that so I'll stop talking about it.

The first band to take the stage that night was OWEL, an alternative indie rock band.

Yes, that’s a violin and yes, I’m very excited about it

OWEL’s performance shocked me. The six band members worked incredibly well together, each mastering their instrument(s) to produce some absolutely gorgeous songs. The band incorporated some unique instruments into their set, such as a violin, a trumpet, and some weird red tube thing that was used by the drummer. Hey, it worked, and it worked well.

“Dreamy, dreamy vocals,” is the only caption that I could come up with for this one

OWEL's final song, Snowglobe, was unlike anything I had ever heard before. At seven minutes and thirty-four seconds long, I still want to hit "replay" whenever I finish listening to it while out and about now. It's earned a permanent spot on my "Good Feelings for Bad Days" playlist, for sure. The song started out slow and simple, with one of those "warm, fuzzy feelings" type of sound and only got better as it went on that night. There might even have been some xylophone action going on in there (OWEL, come and correct me if I'm wrong about this)? As the song went on, more and more instruments were introduced, as well as some gorgeous vocals and lyrics. Throughout the song, the music built and built and built into something beautiful, and near the end, was stripped down to just those beautiful vocals and violin melodies. It then picked up again, louder and stronger than before, before ending as the band shot the crowd a smile and walked off stage.

Violin, vio-lin, violin is IN

Never have I been so glad to be so early to a show!

After OWEL's performance, HaveMercy took the stage.

This is Brian he sings like an angel

Have Mercy is a rock band that has been around for 10(!!!) years. Their set started slowly, with the lead singer starting solo with just his guitar, as the rest of the band began jumping in and playing behind him. By this point, the crowd was beginning to flood the stage and some die-hard Have Mercy fans made their way to the front to sing along to every song they played, which was a lot of fun to watch!

Uh, hair GOALZ

I could tell that one of the songs they performed, Let's Talk About Your Hair, was a crowd favorite. The song begins with a good beat and pretty lyrics, which is more than enough for me to be 100% into. I could feel the emotion in the song, not only from the lead singer, but also from every other member of the band. To me, this was a song about defeat, and what could have been. Hit me right in the feels.

"But I know that you know, that I know that you don't really care. Let's talk about your hair and how its grown and how we know that we're not getting anywhere.

While their set started out slow, it definitely got more hard rock-y by the the middle of their set, and the crowd's energy began to shift. The excitement was contagious, and although I had never heard of this band before, I was getting pumped for each new song they performed.

And before I knew it, it was time for The Early November to come up and perform.

I did my homework (and by that I mean I stalked their Wikipedia page) and learned that The Early November is a rock band from New Jersey. Apparently, if you were an emo kid back in the day, you LOVED this band. I have no idea how I missed that, because I was the emo-ist of kids. I'm just super thankful my friend Anthony recommended these guys to me, because they put on a really great show and played some really, really beautiful songs that I'm happy to add to my playlist (gasp!).

+10 points for anyone who can guess how many guitar changes took place this night

As the band made their way to the stage, the empty spaces in the crowd began to fill and the you could feel the excitement in the air. They opened with the song A Stain on the Carpet and the cheers from the crowd gave way to silence as everyone stopped what they were doing to simply listen to and admire Ace's voice. The lead singer has a voice that's hard to describe, one that is unlike any I've ever heard before. It's soft and sweet, but still commands attention. 10/10 would let this man sing me to sleep.

Lilac edits for the band’s new album, Lilac

The band performed at least a couple songs from each of their albums (I didn't know that at the time though, I didn't know anything about anything), but I was definitely impressed by the songs they played off their new album, Lilac. I can confidently say that Ave Maria is my favorite song by them - and that they absolutely killed it. Ave Maria is what I would call one of their more "pop-y" songs, but the band stripped this one down and performed an acoustic version (with violin!) for us that night. It was a lovely take on a beautiful song. I may or may not have teared up a bit, but you'll never know for sure.

“Didn’t give up at eighteen when everybody said it was just like the dream they had.”

Ace, when asked about the meaning of Ave Maria, said:

“It’s about being told things are impossible. Often times people will tell you things aren’t realistic and not to try because of some inadequacies they feel. This song is about ignoring all of that and pushing on. Reaching the goal isn’t the point but going for it is.”

Love, love, love it.

I’m convinced this is the fourth Jonas brother

The band played through some more songs, including Ever So Sweet (I DID cry, here) and included their classic anthems everyone room sang along to (I did my best to follow along, and failed miserably). At the end of the show, the band stuck around to meet the fans - they were INCREDIBLY kind people. I'm looking forward to the next album they create (fingers crossed!) and can't wait to hear what they have planned next.

Guitar number, idk like 12?

Not really sure how to end blog posts yet so...that's all I've got and thanks for reading?

The Concert Diaries - That Weird First Post No One Ever Wants to Do

Hi, I'm Courtney. I shoot shows and this is where I'll talk about it. Awkward intro over.

Here's me backstage at the Basement East - as always hiding behind my camera

Like most people, I like to think I have a pretty impeccable taste in music. And if my taste in music isn’t impeccable, it’s at least broad. I’ve gone to more concerts than I can count, from greats like Queen and Beyoncé to local shows from bands that have only performed once before…in their bassist’s basement.

My downfall? I absolutely hate actively listening to new music. I’d be perfectly fine listening to the same four Spotify playlists for the rest of my life. I avoid listening to new albums my all-time favorite artists put out, and only hear new songs when a streaming site forces them on me. Why listen to new songs when you’re still enjoying ones you’ve found over a decade ago? There simply isn’t enough time in the day.

I love the music and artists that I know, but rarely do I branch out in search of new bands. I've created this blog as a way to document my thoughts and feelings that come with listening to a band for the first time - and concerts are an incredible place to do that, so I'll be going to as many shows as I can in order to soak in the new music. Thankfully, I'm in a position where I can not only attend, but also photograph, shows pretty often.

Just a few of my concert favorites

Here’s a fun fact: I once listened to the same song for 3 months. Yeah, you read that right. The song was Novacane by Frank Ocean, and fifteen-year-old me did not even know what Viagra or Coachella was. But this man has the voice of an angel, and the music was oh-so-chill. Novacane was on repeat, on a playlist consisting of that song and that song only.

So now, whenever people recommend a band to me, I think I'm actually going to make an effort to listen to them instead of just saying "Great, I'll check them out!" knowing that I'd probably rather have five teeth pulled than listen to something new.

Rock on, or something like that.

Wish me luck.