[LANA DEL REY] pre-show / p. 1

Let's see, how does one delve into writing about an event such as this?

If you've read this blog for awhile, maybe you've stumbled into this article about Lana Del Rey I wrote having to do with her supreme magnificence. That article will easily sum up most of my feelings I have for her and for her music. My excitement for Lollapalooza was already in full gear before the line-up had even been announced. Then of course once it was announced, you had the glory of seeing the Lana/NIN conflict, because, well, of course there was a Lana/NIN conflict. Then, to save my soul, the whole Lana pre-show thing was announced at the House of Blues. That's kind of where I thoroughly lost my shit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's where I saw Florence for her first Chicago show in April 2010...and then to have the opportunity to see Lana there for her first show would take the take the cake. My god, that was going to be absolutely phenomenal. So let's just dive into that, because if we don't, it will just go month by month explaining my growing excitement towards it all and my overdose of Lana adoration.

.   .   .

[Thursday] Aug. 01 / LANA DEL REY LOLLA PRE-SHOW.

The plans were in the works for a few months leading up to this show. The real catch was that the original ticket price was about $40, give or take any fees added to that. If you know her tour habits well, you knew that this was pretty much her only U.S. show, and e v e r y o n e wanted a hold of that ticket, and they all got them on pre-sale. So 10:00:02 rolls around on the actual sale date- gone and only to be found for no less than $115 on StubHub. What did we all do? WE BOUGHT THEM. Actually, Dan bought it as I sat on the bed crying, unable to afford a ticket to see my First Lady, and I'm especially grateful for that. As time crept up, I had done all my prep work and had planned on going dressed as a mix of 'Ride', 'Born To Die', and 'Lolita'. I mean, of course I actually just wanted to dress up and look fantastic, but an 8 hour queue line would require something a bit more feasible. Accomplished.

It's like a Lana Del Rey Polyvore page.

The day's attire.

Brooke and I had planned on heading into the city early to queue because this wasn't tuned to Dan's taste. Of course, like fools, we thought we would be the only ones in line for at least a few hours. We got there around 12:30 only to find 39 other people ahead of us, (some who had been there since 5am) and I know this because I had a 39 on my hand for two days after. The queue is always a place where you find your die-hards and more often than not, people that go to a LOT of shows and know how this whole process goes. The first group of people had devised a number system where you'd have a place in line, sort of a "keep the peace" way of going about it so things were more fair to those who got there before you. Luckily, the venue complied with this and made sure we stayed in order and also would later let us in according to our number order. To be able to wait in the venue, you needed to buy a "Pass The Line" ticket for $20. This would then be eligible to use towards food/house merch/bar, which in turn ended up being kind of awesome when we were all hungry and ended up eating on the floor in the queue line. There were only so many of us that were able to stay in the actual venue part. Later in the day, a few different lines formed outside. As the hours rolled on, we met people from all over the country AND world. There were more people from out of state, than here in Chicago, and that meant people running on NO sleep or people who had spent all day of waiting, or worse- both. We (about 60 of us) ended up chatting a bunch, exchanged twitter handles, and held anxious conversation while I slipped out for smokes any time possible. You see, it was kind of different this time around because waiting in the venue all day is cool and all, except when it's gorgeous and sunny out and you anticipated being outside. During one of my smoke breaks, I ran into Blake, the drummer for  Lana. I shook his hand and we exchanged a few words while I puffed my cigarette and he snapped some pictures of the city. Two people had ended up meeting her during that day a few hours before her show, and I believe they were the only ones. Of course, that always takes effort and the additional add-on that by the time you DO find them, you're just being creepy and invasive about it. Trust me, I would have loved the chance. Oh well, all was fine with the day and the process of waiting, except for when I found out I had balcony seating, {cue to major internal freakout} there I was waiting all day for the main floor glory. I was crushed; I wanted rail, I wanted to be with all the people I had surrounded myself during the course of the day, I wanted to be close- and damn close at that. So of course, when they opened the doors to get in, I just got myself right on that main floor without any effort in making my way towards anything that meant more distance between me and that stage. Eight hours was a cruel amount of time to wait, and I wasn't going to be in some balcony.

some of the queue group!

Ten O' Clock rolls around and Lana saunters onto the stage looking perfect, as if anyone expected less, letting the words of 'Cola' escape her lungs and hit the thick venue air. The whole day I had been wrapped in anticipation to see what she would adorn herself with that night. She has a remarkable sense of style, but had no idea what to expect for that evening. Once we all confirmed this gorgeous being was on stage clad in a brown top, denim skirt, and black boots, the crowd went absolutely nuts and the venue acquired the essence of what could be described as mania. I mean, rightfully so, but why do people feel so inclined to shove as if their life depends on it? Oh yeah, because it's Lana. And we were mystified. The first time she sort of knelt down to sing to us, is when the crowd got thrust forward and pulled back like a sea taking victims in an under tow.

By the time the song was over, I was found somewhere in that sea of people being washed out to the bar area where the excitement was much more dim. My hair had been trapped in people's bags and hands and my body had been pushed into the crowd of people to the point where we had to get the hell out of that area, and now I found myself regretting passing up balcony seating. We watched the show from various distances, and I had now become distracted with thoughts of how to get my spot back or how to somewhere get closer, but we all just wanted to be closer...

 As the melodies I had been using for anthems escaped from her mouth from song to song, I lost myself in waves of tears; a representative of my extreme elation towards seeing her live and for the crowd experience that had pushed me that much further from my desired spot. This confused people; people seemed worried that I was crying, as if you wouldn't cry in the presence of a person who has made such an impact on your life. I absorbed that live music like a sponge, and then immediately seemed to be wrung out in between the notes. The thing is, a lot of people, even if they like her music, will tell you that she's not a strong performer. The thing about that is that everyone remembers a year ago from SNL when she had never performed on television or any huge outlet at all. She's been oerforming quite a bit since then, but far from the states, and most people will only see that if they go out of their way to find it. Needless to say, she's gotten a lot better with moving to her music and knowing her stage. She's a beautiful being that sings such beautiful things in the most beautiful way.

'American'

SETLIST:

1. Cola 2. Body Electric 3. Blue Jeans 4. Born To Die 5. Carmen 6. Young and Beautiful 7. Million Dollar Man 8. American 9. Ride 10. Summertime Sadness 11. Video Games 12. National Anthem.

Lana really is fantastically gorgeous and true to her form, of course she came down and shook hands, signed vinyls, and chatted with a few people quickly while an amazing extended rendition of 'National Anthem' wailed over us in the background. The first few rows got lucky with this and of course, we initially found ourselves within those rows. How I would have loved a brief interaction with her. All you can say is "It happens.", especially when you muster a 17+ crowd and minimum touring.

'Body Electric'

Spin, Lana, Spin!

I waited until they kicked us out of the actual stage area in attempt to snag a set-list. I am typically lucky with such things, however, I wasn't really lucky with much that day. I don't know why I keep going to such a bittersweet aspect of it all. The show itself was amazing; the set list was chocked full of amazing picks and the experience leading up to it was so grand, but the whole crowd experience really left me with a displeasing taste. It's hard when you let your emotions get so tangled within the excitement of the show's events. I honestly just wish she toured more so that you wouldn't have this kind of experience when you see her. It's the kind of show where everyone should just stand and take it all in and just shut up and let her sing. I'm very fortunate I saw her here though instead of Lolla, that would not have been a much better setting, although maybe a bit more calm in some sense. I'm lucky because I don't remember everyone shouting her lyrics back at her like I heard happened at the Friday night showdown. I made all the right choices. It was absolutely vital that I saw Lana Del Rey perform on the House of Blues stage and not mixed within a crowd within Grant park, after all, it's in the name.

All in all, the whole circumstance was pretty epic and something that's hard to say you regret. Of course when you queue for 8 hours and you don't get a set-list, and you don't get a hug, handshake, or even a scribble on a piece of paper, you just feel a little bit down and out. In the end though, it's not what it's really about, though and it's so hard to keep your sights on that when you feel that meeting the artist is now only some competition between super-fans. It's about supporting your artist and getting to know the people who love her just as much as you do. I'm really grateful that I even had an opportunity to see this fantastic starlet, because I was really really hesitant about missing NIN at the actual fest. She was awesome to do a pre-show for us and they were awesome to have invited her. I can only hope she tours more and the experiences keep getting better and the crowds still hold true to their Lana love, while exhibiting a bit differently next time.

THANK YOU, LANA.

I hope you can see now that, yes, you're worth it for people to fly all over to come watch you perform.

Here's 'till next time! 

David Byrne + St. Vincent // Chicago // The Full Story

"I know, I like, BEHOLD AND LOVE THIS GIANT!"

So for those of you who were not fortunate enough to make your way over to The Chicago Theatre on the night of 9.18, then here's the low down on what went on inside that venue on that magical night. The woman in me needs to give you the back story though, so buckle in for the full review.

The Look:

Me about to board the train for the city.
Sported my Pendleton Coat, spunky shirt, and a pair of
rad Ralph Lauren Pants that I scored at the thrift. Of course
I keep the red going with the shoes-ready for groovin!
This was a good concert outfit for sure.

THE MAIN EVENT!

So it all started when I was old enough to hear music... ha, no but really. Talking Heads have always been on my list of favourite bands. I used to groove and sing along to 'Burning Down The House', 'Psycho Killer', and 'Once In A Lifetime' on a weekly basis in the car (or outside of the car) with my mom as a kid, thanks to XRT and her spankin' collection of cassettes. My mom is definitely the epicenter for my David Byrne adoration. So growing up on the tunes and then really coming around to them later in life was an awesome progression. Then of course, there was the whole thing where my eyes fell upon Stop Making Sense and that sealed the deal for me entirely. I'm 100% shocked I don't have that playing on my TV at all times. The way he moves, his e n e r g y- watching it is so sensational! I almost felt like in a way, that I had found my dancing counterpart, that ball of funk he is! I've been wanting to Dance on stage with David Byrne for way too long now. You see, I never thought I'd ACTUALLY get to see David work out his funky moves on stage or have his voice penetrate every ounce of my soul as I stood adoringly in the same room. This was one of my DREAMS. He's one of those "childhood artists" for me, someone I grew up on, who has made an influence on my life for a great period of time. I just can't believe I had the opportunity to see this artist on stage, which was very much my same feeling when I saw Natalie Merchant a couple years back. It meant that much more having this almost life-long connection to it. It seemed like an honor to just listen to the music David Byrne created; either solo, in collaboration, or with Talking Heads. When I heard that he was putting out an album with St. Vincent, I was sort of, um...OVER. THE. MOON and then when XRT announced that it would be part of their amazing concert series they are hosting right now, I freaked out, especially when The Chicago Theatre was announced as the venue. Here was my chance; my chance to see yet another artist that I love and admire, within the walls of The Chicago Theatre. Tickets were purchased (thanks to Dan!), the date was planned, and off to the city I went to delve into pure funk and love that David Byrne & Annie Clark would bring.

We enjoyed a fine meal at Elephant & Castle and supplemented ourselves just fine before the show started just after 8. So here's the thing, Dan and I were not sitting together, not even close, which was a bummer. I had main floor, he had balcony. Honestly though, I moved around way too much for anyone to keep up with me. So I was in row R...well, that didn't really work out for me. I never even really sat in my seat; as soon as I knew where it was, I just bolted for the front of the stage to snag a few pictures;

Look at all that brass just waiting to be played!

I was over the moon at this point. Absolutely revved.

What I was really stoked about was upon getting the album, Love This Giant, I was really pleased with it. Sometimes, new albums can be so hard for me to dive into, even if I know I'm going to see that artist live and need to gear up. This one was so easy for me to melt into and have a lot of emotion towards. It made me feel so many things at once, but mostly I just wanted to dance. Those horns man, they sound SO good live. It's such a funky collaboration; like it almost seems like...too perfect, but something you would have never conjured up in your head. To have both of these artists lay down vocals and instrumentals on one CD is absolutely awesome.

Here's the thing, I dance. I dance a lot at shows. In places or times where that restricts me when I'm at one, is a definite issue. So I started out standing off to the side off my seat, in the aisle. Yes, that's right, The Chicago Theatre is a seated venue, which has its huge perks and some downfalls. When 'Who' started floating through my surroundings, I got INTO THE GROOVE! I cannot even fathom staying seated for any point in that show. I peeked at the setlist for the St. Louis show that happened before ours, and I freaked out, I literally screamed when I saw that they had incorporated Talking Heads songs into the setlist. I knew what to expect song wise. See, I've done this before. I know you're not supposed to dance in the aisles of The Chicago Theatre, but I cannot abide those rules. I know that I have to stay back for x amount of time before I start really making my way down the aisle dancing. Of course, this could only really be contained until the fourth or fifth song that was rolled out; 'Strange Overtones' & 'I Am An Ape'. This was all going very well by the way, me aisle dancing. I wasn't bumping into anyone, I was rackin' up high fives from awesome audience members, and I was workin' up a sweat until, well, of course I got yelled at by security. That wouldn't be the first time that night. So in the meantime, I slowed my roll (hardly) and took more time to really admire the awesomely cheesy choreography that was being carried out on stage. The overall amount of movement and placements throughout was fantastic. It was all rather divine, along with the best of the brass being projected through the theatre. It was such a neat album to hear carried out live. The lights were fantastic too, the whole layout of the whole concert was something my brain wants to have on repeat forever.    I love it when after a few songs in David chuckled in reaction to something an audience member said and Annie chimed in with "We didn't choreograph laughter..." I love her and her adorable wit.

When 'This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)' came on, I just about lost it. I went real close to the stage this time and tried to soak up every ounce of what was happening (and then of course I got yelled at by security). Was this REALLY being played in front of me?! I mean, yeah, I knew what to expect in terms of song choice, but seeing it on paper and having your eardrums soak up the sound are two different things here. It was delightful. The rest of the setlist was delicious; (some of this I'm a bit fuzzy on)

this was a great sum-up of the show that I found on YouTube.

It's not mine and it's not even from the same show,

but it is on pointe to what happened and is definitely worth the watch!

Setlist: Who, Weekend In The Dust, Save Me From What I Want, Strange Overtones, I Am An Ape, Marrow, This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody), The Forest Awakes, Optimist, Like Humans Do, Lightning, Lazarus, Cheerleader, Lazy, I Should Watch TV ♥, Northern Lights, The One Who Broke Your Heart, Outside of Space & Time.

Encore 1: Cruel, Burning Down The House

Encore 2: The Party, Road To Nowhere

Me under the magical little lights at the magical venue! I love The Chicago Theatre!

David was conducting me in dance...or so I'd like to think.

Of course, I knew that I wouldn't be able to continually dancing around in the same area that I had been, so I was on a hunt for a new spot. Which is so disappointing. IT WAS DAVID BYRNE! LET THE PEOPLE DANCE! I knew there had been a handful of seats closer to the stage, but I wanted to get into the middle of this crowd, I wanted to be in front of Byrne & Clark. So I made sure to wait for the perfect moment to head over and out into the next aisle. Before I knew it I was in row MM, CENTER, on the aisle with a 5 empty seats next to me. Can you say "PERFECT"?! A few people joined in there to dance with me, which is always nice. The song I was most excited for, besides the big Talking Heads hits, was 'I Should Watch TV'. This song rocked me to the core the first time I heard it and continues to do so (no seriously, I have to listen to it, like, 8 times a day). I knew I had to be scampering down the aisle when it was on as well as exhibit some dance moves I had thrown along with it. I love how David went into it with a little story, making the anticipation that much greater. I am so glad they played it so I could expend so much energy into 3 minutes and 09 seconds. I was sort of shocked at the amount of people NOT really moving. A lot of people were standing on the main floor, but no one was really getting down with the tunes. Did they know which concert they were at? Really? It's DB, you should just get up and dance if he's just standing in front of you.

"HEY, WAIT! WAS THAT A THEREMIN?!"  YEAH IT WAS! - AWESOME.

Here was 'Burnin' Down The House', which was just UNREAL.
Again, this is not mine, it's from the show before mine, but same feel!

But seeing 'Road To Nowhere' was exquisite, especially for the last tune. Wow. WOW!

I cannot believe I actually got to see him on stage performing this song or any Talking Heads song for that matter. The energy they exuded was absolutely beyond. Annie and David had such a nice chemistry on stage and he sounds so, so good still. He hit every note so well and just really took command of the stage. He is such an artist and it was an honor to be in his presence and have his eyes catch mine in a groovy tune that night. I can tell you that my shirt was soaked with sweat for a good hour and a half after it was over. And Annie? To see her play that guitar is righteous. She can create sound on that thing, it's not just a guitar for her. She's truly amazing and hard to take your eyes off of, even with someone like David Byrne standing next to her.

I tried waiting outside the venue for a good hour to try to snag a shot of the dynamic duo, but no such luck, only good conversations with other people waiting. No such luck even snagging a set list from that show, man! I was one of the last people away from the stage at the end begging [yes, begging] for that musical list. A few people mentioned that they thought it seemed more sided towards St. Vincent, but I thought David had a lot of shining moments that did not include Annie. The album is well divided, too. I think they both bring something different to the table and those things they brought were mucho importante. In the interviews I watch with them summing it up, it seemed like so much back and fourth, and even Annie said that he was really able to turn her ideas into songs and music. I can see how some people might not receive it, but if you even remotely like Talking Heads or St. Vincent, you must check it out. It is a great, distinguishable mix between the both of them, with this otherworldly brass element that makes it ROCK.

The best part is that even after the show, I'm still bumpin' the album like CRAZY. I literally almost feel odd listening to anything else. Some shows are like that for me, where I'm swimming in the album for weeks after the show is over. Sometimes I have a hard time listening to it because I want to keep that memory there, in that venue. I hope my excitement towards this show has got you excited to sample the album, or buy it and love it 'till the end of time. Let me know your thoughts! If there are tickets available for your town- SNAG THEM UP! Try to avoid security if you're dancing in the aisles!

-T