Dan+Shay (3/13/2015)

Last Friday night I got the chance to go and see Dan+Shay and their opening act Canaan Smith live at the House of Blues in Houston, TX. I wasn't originally planning on going to the concert due to a very few amount of my friends actually knowing who they were and not having anyone to go with, but a couple of days before the concert, I entered a contest through Live Nation just because and ended up winning tickets to the concert! I only had three hours until the box office opened when I found out but I was fortunate enough to find someone to go with and ended up having a incredible night.  Both performances were absolutely incredible. The performers gave off amazing energy and were really good at interacting with the audience. They  had me dancing and enjoying myself, reminding me why I love music so much and on the impact it has made on my life while making a few new friends along the way who constantly remind me to keep that fire alive!

For those of you who have no clue who they are, Dan+Shay are a country duo and are most well known for their song "19+You and Me" and their most recent single, "Nothin' Like You." Although Dan+Shay aren't super well known, I have been listening to them since "19+ You and Me" first came out on the radio and I fell in love with their album "Where It All Began." Canaan Smith is also an up-and-coming artist who has been opening for Dan+Shay on tour and is most well known for his single "Love You Like That."

Although I didn't really know who Canaan Smith was before the concert started, his music and energy were able to set a vibe that allowed the audience to really feel the music. He has a great voice and has a really strong level of interaction with his audience. Canaan's songs such as "Bronco" had a way of really moving people and making you really feel what he's feeling throughout his performance. Luckily at the end of his performance, I also got to meet his bassist and take a very cute picture with him (he's such a lovely guy, check out his band Cardfall on Youtube and Twitter).

Dan+Shay have been personal favorites of mine for quite a while now. When I first listened to the whole of their "Where It All Began" album, I fell head over heels for their music. Considering most of their songs are very mellow and cutesy-romantic, they performed every song from the heart and carried an energy throughout the whole show I'm sure not many people would have been able to create. This was the first concert I had ever been to where I didn't prepare (because I didn't know I was gong beforehand) and didn't worry about because I already knew all their songs by heart. Apart from being irresistible cuties, when it came to their stage presence, I was absolutely blown away. These guys haven't been touring as long as many of the other bands I have seen live (I've seen many) and the energy they had, making the audience feel like they are a part of the performance itself, was truly impressive. Their voices are beautiful live and they have a way of making you forget there's an outside world to begin with. I know some people reading this may think I'm just being extremely biased (maybe slightly, not extremely), but I have been to many concerts and I get that being in a more intimate location such as the House of Blues helps when it comes to audience interaction, but I have no doubt in my mind that they are just as incredible with a larger audience. They hit every note flawlessly and nailed all their harmonies, carrying so much feeling in their performance. For two guys who are headlining their first tour, they did an incredible job on stage. I honestly give them a 10/10 to listen to and to see live. If I could, I would repeat that night over and over again. Then to top it all off, they are extremely sweet and funny!

Every time I think of that night, I get excited all over again. I have no doubt God threw me a helping hand, knowing that not only was I missing concerts, but that I was going to be meeting incredible people who happen to attend school in same college town I'm in and who slowly but surely have been making an wonderful impact in my life. That night remains alive in me and will continue to stay that way for as long as I can make it last. If there's one thing that I have learned (or at least been reassured of) is music can bring people together, change the world and be the helping hand some people desperately need in their lives. Thank God for music and the beauty it can bring into our lives. It's an impact I wouldn't exchange for anything else in the world.



Here are a few pictures from the concert:

Canaan Smith:

Dan+Shay:

(If you look closely you can see my friends and I in the picture!)

British Babe

The first time I ever heard a song by James Bay, it was on CW's show "Jane the Virgin" as Jane and Michael had reconciled their relationship and Michael played the song "Let it Go" (No, not the song from Frozen, obviously). From there on, I became obsessed with the song and I tend to catch myself singing the chorus more often than not.

James Bay is a British song-writer and guitarist from Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Bay has 3 EPs, "The Dark of the Morning," "Let it Go," and "Hold Back the River." In 2014 when having released his EP "Let it Go," the song "Let it Go" debuted on the Top 10 iTunes Chart in the UK. Since then he has been climbing his way up in the music industry. Bay also recently won the BRIT Critic's Choice Award earlier this week.

Bay's music has a very down to earth kind of vibe to it. His voice is very soulful and smooth and his music is very stripped back. He definitely falls under Indie/Pop/Alternative Rock genre. Apart from "Let it Go," his song "Need the Sun to Break" has definitely been really touching. The songs he writes are all very guitar based and carry a very natural feel to them.

Maybe it's my love for Indie and Acoustic Rock music that brings me to writing about James Bay, but I believe he's about to make a major impact on the music industry. He's someone that I feel needs to be out there. His music is so genuine and raw, it's so real. The emotions flow so well and you can hear it all in his voice. Bay's songs make me feel like each one has a story attached to it. Like I'm able to take the words and create a real event that might have led to the writing of the song, but the best part is that I imagine each song spurring from so many different possible events, they're each open for interpretation. It's like they all have a beautiful light shining on them, allowing you to admire and to find your own meaning behind each one.

Despite his beautiful, dark, long locks, Bay has a voice that can just make you really feel. I truly believe he deserves to keep moving on up, he's something new and something needed. I look forward to seeing what impact he may bring to the world of music.


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JamesBayVEVO
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesBayMusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesbaymusic?ref=br_tf
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jamesbaymusic

"Music doesn't exist, physically. Yet it commands every facet of my personality and it has the power to command people how to feel on a physical level, uncontrollably. And I find that so fascinating.”

-Matthew Healy from The 1975


I have never come across a more accurate quote and I'm pretty sure he's my spirit animal. That is all. 

The 1975

I have to say, out of all the concerts I have ever been to, going to see The 1975 on November 26, 2014 was without a doubt one of the best concerts I've ever attended and one of the best nights of my life.

The 1975 are a band from the city of Manchester in the UK consisting of four band members; Matthew (Matty) Healy is the lead singer, Adam Hann on guitar, Ross MacDonald on bass guitar and George Daniel on drums. They have been together since they formed in 2002 back when they were still in school and released their debut album "The 1975" on September 2, 2013.

Because music has meant so much to me in the past, it's been incredibly easy for me to say "Oh my gosh this band is incredible blah blah blah" but it's also really easy for me to shut down something I don't like. When I first listened to The 1975, I was very on edge about them. I wasn't sure if I really liked them or if they were just a band I was going to have on my iTunes but not really bother playing. After a few listens to their album, they began growing on me. Slowly but surely, I was hooked. I just knew I was going to have to see them live because one day they're going to be big.

They were different but even now I still can't pinpoint what it is that makes them so.. them. All I know is they make me feel. It is said that music is good when it can make you feel. Although not every type of music is going to appeal to every kind of person, music generally comes from feelings, and when those feelings are triggered, you just know it's good. The 1975 make me feel. I get butterflies in my stomach, they make my heart race. I feel like I'm on cloud 9. They have an effect on me that makes me feel silly, but makes me feel like it's all okay. The way Matty's voice just sounds extremely raw, the way the instruments play, falling together so smoothly, and the way the lyrics can make no sense but make so much sense, all at the same time.

The 1975 is a band that isn't anything but themselves. It's easy to hear a musician say "I'm in this for the music," and although I do believe it, to have it shown is something completely different. They show it. They show their love for the art. They're passionate and they don't hide it. Their concert was simple, yet beautiful.

They took a part of my heart with them on that stage, and I don't want it back.

Well

It's been a while. I nearly forgot this blog existed but I think it's time I pick up and start writing again.

It's been an insane year. So many things have happened. So many more concerts have happened. So much new music has been released. So many bands have toured. So many feelings have come up.

I've changed so much as a person, I'm not the same girl I was a year ago. But that same love for music prevails.

If I Lose Myself...

I've always told my friends about how much I love music and how much I wish to pursue a career in the music field but aren't capable due to lack of much needed experience and most colleges require to audition to get into their music program. Apart from lack of experience, music is possibly one of the hardest careers to get involved with and even more difficult to succeed. Lately, I've been struggling with the question that pretty much everyone suffers with, "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?" And to be honest, I have a feeling, but at the same time I have absolutely no clue.

For the past four years of high school, I've been a part of my school's theatre and it's what I've concentrated on since my freshman year. Funny enough, since my freshman year, I've been obsessed with the thought of a career in the music business, more specifically being a music producer/song writer. Performing is a dream, but that's something that would require many vocal lessons. You would figure that because of my involvement in theatre, I would be unbelievably comfortable with being on a stage but nope, being a technician seems to be my calling when it comes to the theatrical aspect of things. But being on a stage to do something like sing karaoke, or sing anything for fun in front of people and not be limited to any set emotions or feelings is one of the greatest rushes I've ever felt. It simply makes me happy. If you're enjoying yourself, there's many ways to get an audience involved as well.

I love it. I love being at a concert and seeing a band or artist perform and you can just tell that they love what they do. It's not easy, nothing is easy, but to be able to do what you love as your career like that is amazing. Being on that stage in front of thousands of people. If you close your eyes, all you hear are the screams of so many people just waiting for their idols to go on stage and once they do, you know. Oh you know. Then you see them, they're there and they're real. The music is playing, they're singing, you're singing your heart out and you feel the adrenaline. The beat of the drums is felt in your chest and you start to flow with the music. The lights go haywire and you're suddenly in a dream. You and your idol are in the same room and it's real. Suddenly the last song has finished playing and your voice is gone, you're a lot more tired than you thought and your ears are ringing. It's pure bliss. You've just seen your idol perform live, and you're incredibly happy. Imagine being on the other side. Being on the stage and making thousands feel as happy as you're feeling.

In most cases though, being in church on a Sunday morning and listening to those hymns being sung. There's nothing more beautiful than hearing the choir sing and harmonizing in specific Tones. My favorite time of year is always Holy Week. When Good Friday comes around and we get to sing Lamentations. Then there's not one morning I'm not listening and singing along to O Pure Virgin (my favorite hymn of all time), because I know that without it, I won't feel as at ease and that it has a way of reminding me why I'm here and that I have a purpose in this life.

Music has this way of making you feel certain ways and connecting you to others in such ways you never thought possible. I want this to be my life. I want to be able to make people feel how The Script or All Time Low make me feel. Music reminds you that you're not alone because that person you're listening to sing, happened to go through a similar situation and there are others who know how you feel. You're never alone. Music can make you feel a wide range of emotions and it's absolutely stunning. Music's a gift from God and has a way of bringing us even closer together as his children, whether you believe in him or not, he works in wondrous ways.

I think I've expressed my emotions enough, for now. I'll be back soon though. Hope you enjoyed :)

The Script...

Well I haven't posted on here in a while and I apologize to those who actually thought this was somewhat interesting or good (hey, if you like it then please let me know!). But I am back! Not sure for how long though...

 BUT

Today I have returned to talk about The Script who are this phenomenal Irish band that I think deserve a lot more credit than they are given because WOW they're great. To those of you who've never heard of The Script (have you lived under a rock?), the band consists of three members: Danny O'Donoghue (lead vocals & guitar), Mark Sheehan (lead guitar & vocals), and Glen Power (drums). The band formed in 2002 and since then have kicked butt with great instrumentals and lyrics. A couple of the band's biggest well known hits are "Breakeven" and "The Man Who Can't Be Moved." (Sound familiar yet?)

Lately, my older brother has rediscovered his obsession with The Script and that's led to me rediscovering mine. Car rides have consisted of blasting "If You See Kay," "Six Degrees of Separation," and "If You Could See Me Now" (along with many more), while singing at the top of our lungs and having people in the other cars stare at us (no shame). Throughout these very fun car rides, I've paid much more attention to the lyrics than usual and have realized just how much meaning every single one of their songs have. 

Personally, the most powerful song I believe O'Donoghue has written so far is "If You Could See Me Now" from the band's third album, #3. The song relates to the death of his father who passed away from a stomach aneurysm on February 14, 2008. Though the reason for the song is tragic, the emotion behind the song hits you as soon as the lyrics begin to flow. It is very easy to tell how he's feeling as he's singing and how much feeling has been put into this. It's not easy to write such a song, but I do commend him on being able to do it. Everyone should listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SGlkwKA-t_4

Another song that should be listened to, is "Give the Love Around" which is also from the album #3. The song speaks of what goes around comes around and how we should give the love around because it'll spread and come back to you. Our grandparents taught our parents, our parents taught us and we will be teaching our children as well as those who look up to us. If we love others, they will learn to love others as well. As much as we may be the future generation, we are also teaching those who are going to be taking over when we're stepping down. Definitely an A+ song, listen to it!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKPyxkYfBV0

Now it's time to wrap up another one of my"This Band Is So Amazing Go and Listen To Them I Promise You Won't Regret It" posts. Seriously though, I promise you won't regret listening to them. Great instrumentals, lyrics, voices and genuine feelings with each song. But for now, adios! :) 

:)

P.S. Just in case you couldn't tell, I love them, a lot and yeah.