My first concert in another country!
Before I get into any of the concert spiel, I have to make it know to the world that my father is the best dad out there. I know the competition has been going on for a while, but I am telling you now, he can't be beat. (Sorry other dad's).
He bought me this ticket three days before the concert and gave me the pep talk I needed to go to a new city, by myself, to go to my first concert solo. I couldn't be more grateful.
Okay, I am gonna explain this photo post idea I have decided to do. I will post a photo and then give the background or the story to it as the text. This is be easy content to keep up with and hopefully enjoyable to read.
This one will be rather lengthy, but not all of them will be.
The Artist:
I do not care if you don't vibe with Grande's music, or if you couldn't love the style change she has made this year, Ariana Grande is one of the best people in the music business right now.
In my opinion.
Firstly, she sounds exactly like, if not better than, the records. I think that it is important to say it even though literally everyone says it because even though you think you know she is good live, you are still shocked at how amazing she sounds live. It is pretty incredible to be such a hyped up artist, so talked about, and then to surpass the hype. Because she doesn't just live up to it.
Secondly, she cares a whole hell of a lot about the audience, and what she is putting out into the world, both talent and message.
Some examples:
She has crazy good security policies after the bombing at her concert in 2017. She requires clear purses of a certain dimension to get into the show which is really just genius. If you wondering, that is why those things are everywhere and so trendy now. Not only does it make it so easy to check bags, but she has made it a fun part of the show. You get to show off the clear bag and how you worked it into your outfit, it becomes part of the atmosphere.
Additionally, you do get a pat down. This isn't a crazy pat down because everything you have is in the clear purse, so don't worry, it isn't awkward.
The main thing I love about this is the fact that she cares enough to implement these things for the audiences safety. She didn't have to do that, she could have moved on as quickly as possible and spare the extra costs and time of supplying enough people and making those bags. It really says something about her character.
A second example of her character is her photography and videography guidelines. About thirty minuets before she takes the stage a projection goes up saying that the show is very visual and so if you take pictures and video to turn the flash off. Additionally, she recommends limiting the amount you take in order to fully enjoy the concert. Besides, she has an insane Instagram team that uploads photos of the shows after anyways.
Granted a bunch of teens that live for their phones don't exactly listen to this. At all. And their parents that paid a lot of money to get them there feel like they have earned the right to do whatever they want, which really disappoints me.
For any musician anymore the concert becomes a status and everyone goes for the show not the performance, and the artists deserve more from us as the audience.
They put so much work into their craft and most of them have a vision and message for their concerts that is gonna get missed if everyone is on their phone.
I especially felt like this at this concert. Grande has been very vocal about how her last two records featured in this tour (Sweetener and Thank you, Next) show powerful growth she has gone through in the wake of tragedies she has had to face like the bombing and Mac Miller's death. Before buying tickets we knew this concert was different because it was literal character growth. We have watched it happen.
We owe it to her to watch and listen. She is giving us her heart and soul.
The Show:
This was a very visual show, there were clear themes and a lot of effort put into gorgeous projections and lighting. The main premise was surrounding planets and space.
Every couple of songs the round white planet base would get a new planet projected on it, and I bet you money that if I tracked which songs were under each planet, that it would line up with astrology.
In astrology each planet rules a different house which comes with inherent qualities that can be representative of your personality and how you react in those sections of your life.
Ex: Venus = Love.
Different themes within the songs would then match up with some of these inherent qualities and therefore that is the planet projected. Which is really a DOPE way of creating a show. Even if you don't believe in astrology.
I could be totally wrong, but I am gonna roll with it.
This show was also extremely dance heavy, but not just by backup dancers. Ariana danced the entire show. And not just silly bouncy dancing, full choreography.
One of my absolute favorite moments (I lost my shit) was when she did the VMA God is a Woman choreography live. After the VMA performance I was obsessed with the choreography for the song and all the meanings it plays on and the religious imagery ect. So when she did it live I almost cried.
Here is the VMA performance:
Other elements of the visuals that were cool: The car from the 7 Rings video came up from the floor and got danced upon, and the mod 60's inspired projections that came with each song that were verging on psychedelic. Think "Man from Uncle" meets Concert posters of the 60's and 70's.
The Audience:
I kind of already touched on this, but I will just clarify that I want these teens to experience music to it's full extent. I know it is exciting to be there, I know you want to remember, but how many grainy photos and distorted audio clips do you need to be able to do that?
Concerts are supposed to leave you inspired, how are you gonna be inspired if you are missing the message?
Trust me, your friends will be more jealous if you can describe the feeling you got rather then showing them what you managed to capture digitally.
Final Thoughts:
I hope that this gives you an idea of why, talent aside, Ariana Grande deserves her fan base, why she is a good person for people to look up too, and why she truly is an artist, not just a pop star.
I think she is rather incredible, if you couldn't tell. Take my lack of photos as credibility to my opinion, I promise I truly watched and listened.