Virgin Mobile FreeFest at the Merriweather Post Pavilion

On September 21, Virgin Mobile FreeFest took place at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. The steady rain and the cold did not stop the tens of thousands of people in attendance from gathering to appreciate one of the most impressive lineups ever presented (entirely for free!) by Virgin Mobile FreeFest. As a first-time music festival goer myself, I, along with the thousands of others lacking umbrellas and raincoats, was entirely unprepared for the muddy chaos that was to follow. Strangely enough, however, I felt that the weather brought the concert goers together in a way that could not have been achieved by bright sunshine and dry clothes. We, as a collective whole, came together to appreciate music for a solid 12 hours, even in spite of the rain and the misery.

My friends and I drove to Merriweather around mid-afternoon, sadly missing two of the most anticipated acts of the festival, Sky Ferreira and Chvrches, while arriving just in time for Icona Pop. I had always found Icona Pop's DGAF anthem, "I Love It," annoying (let's be real here--you'd care if you crashed your car into a bridge), but the Swedish duo surprised me with catchy pop tunes that infused the audience with an infectious energy and the uncontrollable need to dance.

One of the highlights of FreeFest was Kaskade's set.

I can honestly say it was Kaskade's performance that began my forays into the EDM world (more on that in a later post). It was through the mist that Kaskade began to weave his magic, his music evolving and building, tweaked and reworked for the live performance. For a solid sixty minutes, the thousands of people packed into West stage lost themselves in his music and as Kaskade brought the performance to a close with a mashup of "Turn It Down" and Martin Garrix's "Animals", we were all thrust back into reality; it was pouring and it was chilly. What do we do now?

FreeFest ended the night with closers, Vampire Weekend and Madeon.

I'd always been a fan of Vampire Weekend--I easily consider "Modern Vampires of the City" one of the top albums of 2013 (more on that in a later post), but boy was I surprised by Vampire Weekend's performance. I just wish mp3 recordings could do Ezra Koenig's live vocals justice. Just as some beautiful people are not photogenic, studio recordings can not come close to capturing the intangible quality that defines Koenig's stunning vocal ability. I left Vampire Weekend's performance early to finish off the night with Madeon and I still regret doing so.

It was amidst the trees at Dance Forest that the crowd fist-pumped to Madeon's set. And as the audience cheered and danced during his unplanned encores, I felt a special sense of unity.

We braved the weather and we thrived. 

The XX at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion

On September 20, The XX performed at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion. I'm still not quite sure who the opening act was, but after about an hour of the opener and an intermission that lasted over an hour itself, you could almost feel the collective restlessness buzzing through the audience by the time The XX finally came onstage.





In retrospect, the concert was everything you could have expected with a band like The XX. I do remember feeling a distinct sense of disappointment with their performance--their lateness tainted the entire show with the slight feeling that they did not truly appreciate their fans. Despite all that, I think I walked out the venue satisfied all the same.

There was a special kind of intimacy between Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim; I felt like I was witnessing musical sex as they swayed back and forth, walking slowly towards each other with a certain deliberateness and chemical pull.

But that's exactly the kind of mood evoked by The XX's songs. When they ended the show with "Intro" and "Angels", I almost felt like crying.

Muse at the Verizon Center

On September 11, 2013, Muse performed at the Verizon Center as part of their "The 2nd Law" world tour. I actually had not planned on attending until maybe the night before. The concert took place on a Wednesday night and the tickets were maybe sixty or so dollars, but these were measly excuses at best--this was perhaps the best impulse decision I've ever made.



I wish I could begin to convey the true awesomeness of the performance and I do not use the term, "awesome," lightly. Even if we were to completely ignore Matthew Bellamy's unparalleled falsetto, Muse spared no expense for its stage effects. A pyramid of screens took its place at the center of the stage and these screens had a life of its own, consuming the band as it sunk and revealing the band as it ascended. Synchronized lyrics flashed across the screens and I suppose you don't even have to question the presence of laser and strobe lights with this kind of show.



Matthew Bellamy himself had a unique kind of stage presence. His skill with both the guitar and the piano, together with his totally distinct falsetto, inspires a sort of incredulity; how can one man be so talented?



As Bellamy got down on his knees and thrust his microphone into the crowd during "Starlight", I felt a certain sense of unity, a collective love for his music, the kind that can only be brought upon by thousands of people singing "Our hopes and expectations. Black holes and revelations," in unison.

Phoenix at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion

On September 1st, 2013, Phoenix performed at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion and while I was not what you would call a diehard Phoenix fan walking in, I definitely became one walking out--most good concerts generally tend to have that effect.

Silhouettes of the band stood against a screen of flashing colors and scenes of the streets of Paris. Thomas Mars fell into the crowd and though I nearly suffocated by the sheer number of bodies rushing forward towards the stage, it was clear he had a real love for his fans (and I stood directly beneath him as he stood up supported solely by my and fellow devoted fans' hands).

When Thomas Mars stepped off the stage to serenade the audience with an acoustic version of "Countdown", there was just no denying Phoenix's abilities as fantastic live performers. 

Waitressing Adventures

I haven't been a server for very long--this is my second summer working as a waitress and as it would appear, I have once again been delegated the wonderful responsibility of serving greasy gyro and souvlaki sandwiches to my fellow patrons. But even with only two summers of experience under my belt, this particular job has given me an eclectic collection of stories to tell and the somewhat useful ability to have a smile perpetually plastered on my face.

The summer months are particularly slow for a restaurant in a college town; I've been consistently making below minimum wage for the past month and I wasn't expecting to make any more than usual when I went in for my shift earlier today. It was mid-afternoon and just as I was beginning to think I was actually going to lose money coming in to work (neither the parking nor the food is free), an old couple walked in and ordered two Arnold Palmers and a single triple decker sub to share between them. I've always had good experiences with senior citizen customers; they always seem to be fairly decent tippers (though if there's one thing you learn as a server, it's that you can never predict who's going to be a good tipper or not based on appearance alone), but with the meal costing around $11 total, my hopes weren't exactly high.

Throughout the course of their meal, the old man jokingly said things like, "This sandwich is great! Did you make it?" or "The food is fantastic! Would you like some?" in response to my standard, "Is everything alright? Do you need anything?" There are, of course, the customers who shower compliments and endless words of gratitude throughout the meal, only to leave a terrible tip afterwards; words of gratitude, while appreciated, are useless without the corresponding tip!! I'm pretty sure this man, however, was an angel in disguise. Upon leaving the restaurant after a cheery "thank you so much for the great meal", I went to clear the table and collect my tip.

He left a $20 tip for an $11 meal.

It felt like Christmas had come early. He managed to singlehandedly restore my faith in humanity. Happiness can come in many forms and today, it came in the form of unexpected kindness from a good-natured old man.

Watch the music video for The Mowgli's (an excellent band I discovered today) "San Francisco" for an apt depiction of my happiness:

Watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt's dance number to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams" from (500) Days of Summer also works.

OneRepublic at Wolf Trap

On August 5, 2013, OneRepublic performed at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and while it was not the borderline religious experience that I had with The Antlers concert earlier this year, I can honestly say that of all the hours I've lived through during my short 19 years of existence, this concert was, without a doubt, one of the best one and a half hours I've ever had the fortune of experiencing in my life. The concert was that good.

Rainy Day Essentials

I love summer rain. I can open my windows and let the sound and smell of rain accompanied by the notes of a select few songs instill a certain special sense of serenity; it's a feeling you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere! Here are a couple songs and artists I consider essential to any rainy day mix. Enjoy!

- Comptine d’un autre été : L’Après-midi / Yann Tiersen
- Anything by Ludovico Einaudi (I suggest "Experience", "Run", and "Giorni Dispari")
- Any of the Chopin nocturnes (Nocturne #19 in E minor and #20 in C# minor are my favorites)
- Avril 14th / Aphex Twin

(Reviews of movies posted almost immediately after the initial viewing requires a certain kind of discipline that I lack. I'm working on my reviews though, I swear! Expect them sometime in the near future.)