Seaside Sound

There are moments in life which I love looking back at and wishing I could re-live. Surely, seeing Animal Collective while on a Spring Break trip to San Francisco is one of those moments I will always remember. 

As a Journalism major, I love picking up alternative weekly newspapers in whichever city I am in and decided to pick up a copy of SF Weekly. As I sifted through, I saw the familiar faces of Animal Collective, minus Deakin. Reading on I saw they were coming nearby to Oakland and knew I had.to.go. 

Despite having a song titled “FloriDada”, Animal Collective wasn’t making a stop to my home state. This was my only chance to go and luckily my brother and cousin were down. 

It was Monday, day of the concert (yes, kind of a weird day), and we still hadn’t bought our tickets and saw they were unfortunately sold out besides expensive Stub Hub tickets. But we didn’t just stop there and went to all lengths. An hour before the concert, we were running out of hope but craigslist came through and we found someone with three tickets! 

With pure excitement, we rode to Oakland knowing we’d miss the opening band, Ratking. 

Entering the Fox Theater at Oakland, I never expected to view such a jaw-dropping, gorgeous venue with carved wood ceilings, lavish carpets and great temple-like statues on each side of the stage which made you feel as if you were attending trippy Saturday temple. 

Walking inside (and being 5 feet tall), we looked for a spot where I was able to view the concert comfortably. Usually, I love getting to concerts early enough so I can be up-front able to see and still dance with crowds rather than in the back where people just like to view the stage.

The Fox Theater had many different levels so that I made it to the front of the back section viewing the stage at a perfect level. After a while, lights dimmed and four men walked on to stage. One behind the drums and the other three, Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist, behind their different DJ sets and each in front of a Picasso like head sculpture.

Barely settling down, “Natural Selection” immediately started blasting through and the head sculptures started lighting up and constantly changing its facade to different art paintings by Abby Portner. 

No matter what song played, Animal Collective stayed steady with their voices, beats and even the rhythm in their moves as they danced along to their music. Crowds replicated this and during “Golden Gal” people started to crowd surf as others jumped up and down in sync. 

Immediately after, hearing only one simple note, the sold-out crowd wooed as Panda Bear began to sing “Daily Routine”, an all-time favorite from an album which many know them for, Merriweather Post Pavilion.

As the long piano notes were held along with the constant chimes and sustained vocals, it felt as if the whole room was in nirvana going through a meditative and reflective experience together almost leaving me in tears (yes, i’m that lame). 

Keeping the calm with a bit more hype, they went back to playing mainly songs from their latest album Painting With and crowds, although they did not seem to know the songs as well as older ones, still continued to vibe along. 

Taking us back to what seemed like worship time, they played “Bees” off of Feels and the art changed once again to animated bees flying in and out in a structural, stop-motion order. With lyrics reminding you to take your time, this concert made me reflect at times as I zoned out looking at all the art around me and people coming together to celebrate pure creativity and music with no boundaries that has pushed limits since 1999.

All of a sudden, the band left the stage and crowds of people were confused. It felt like the concert was barely close to being over but just a minute later, the band walks back out and continued their set with a three song encore including one of my all-time favorites from Feels, “Loch Raven”. 

At that moment, I felt so fortunate to be able to be where I was and for my surroundings. Young, college students up front experiencing things for the first times, people in their mid-20s and mid-30s listening to a band with their groups of friends with a beer in hand and old couples dancing along with one another or holding hands. 

Ending the show with their latest single, “FloriDada”, I was joyous hearing my home state constantly uttered from Animal Collective’s lips and the constant musical conversation between Avey Tare & Panda Bear. At that moment, I felt at home although I was a three-hour difference away from it.

R.I.P. David Bowie (1947-2016)

Festivals are not for the faint-hearted. Although I haven’t been to many and ones I’ve been too were only a day long, they are not easy. You have to push through crowds, deal with rude people and stand on your feet for hours with the hopes of a catching a good view of your favorite bands. It sounds like a lot of work but is it worth it? Completely.

This past weekend, I headed up to Jacksonville for a festival that my friends and I had been anticipating for many months: The Big Ticket Fest.

Getting early to Metropolitan park, there were already huge crowds formed waiting to get inside of the park. There were strange bag regulations and as my friend and I came back from putting her bag in the car, I noticed crowds were flooding in so obviously we shifted our way inside them to enter quicker than other people waiting in line. Yes, I’m that asshole but no one noticed anyway.

Entering about an hour earlier allowed us to scope the area and plan out our day. Waiting for my friends, I relaxed in the cold weather while shazaming songs that X 102.9, the radio station hosting the event, put on.

As my friends finally arrived, one decided to go her own way and endure the tough journey of staying front row for 10 hours in the main stage without food….or her respirator (read on about that.)

Waiting at the Jagermeister stage, the announcer finally introduced Borns. I had checked Borns out only a few days before and wasn’t sure of how he would sound because usually people with high vocal ranges don’t sound as great in person. He proved me wrong.

Borns had a graceful air to him as he sang and swung around stage with his microphone and played poppy guitar riffs. There was something about him that reminded me of Michael Jackson.  Possibly his jawline or the way he smirked as he sang and looked at crowds but it had everyone around me swooned as they raised their hands to sing every chorus along with him. His band, which included a girl drummer (yeah, I did have to mention it haha) complimented him so well dancing just as much as he would and grooving throughout all the songs.

A young couple next to me along with others had a “mysterious fog” , as Borns put it, around them which had them dancing in ways I’d never expect out of a indie pop performance. Whether grooving to “Past Lives” or finishing his set with “Electric Love”, Borns kept the crowd singing along (whether they knew the words or not) as if he were our groovy 80s pop gospel choir director.  

Ending his performance, we were all sad that he had to go because it didn’t seem like it was enough time (which is normal considering it’s a festival). Loitering around for three hours, we waited for Pvris by the lawn.

Considering I’m 5-feet-tall, concerts are usually tough when I’m in the back. Their lead singer had a beautiful voice which kind of reminded me of  Hayley Williams from Paramore. There was another couple in front of me which motivated me to keep on dancing to Pvris’ dark, electronic rock (a genre I didn’t think to ever be danceable).

The day sort of drifted through until we collectively decided to go back into the crowds to hand my friend her respirator. People wouldn't budge...even when we showed them it and everyone left but me. Staying there while another performance was going on in the other stage was hard but then became easy when The Neighborhood took the stage.

Ever since I can remember, I never really liked this band and thought it was beach hipster bullshit. But when they took the stage, I was changed. Well, sort of. There was something about Jesse Rutherford, their lead singer, which I liked in his stage presence and the way he carelessly meandered through the stage yet still sounded so good along with the electronic guitars and sort of bounce the drummers gave the crowd. Although I tried throughout, I was never able to move forward much except when people felt bad that they wouldn't let me see the stage. Still, the band’s music kept me dancing and sort of in a trance where I forgot that I was midst of kids drinking energy drinks for their first time and annoying girls who kept dissing everyone on stage instead of enjoying their time there.

No matter what song they played, they had changed my thoughts on them which may have never happened unless I sticked around and now, I can’t get enough of “Daddy Issues” and  “Cry Baby”.

After their performance, I attempted going forward one last time and no had luck. Being around squads made me miss my own so I went back and found them lying in the grass as the sun was starting to set.

We started to get inside the crowds as the announcer came out and I couldn’t see much except lights which came out everywhere on stage and heard a super peppy voice that slurred every last word it spoke. Walk The Moon had come out and drove everyone wild. People around me, including myself, couldn’t stop jumping and hopping catching a view of them as they danced their asses off on stage while singing and playing their instruments. The girl behind me never stopped to catch a breath of air as she sang every lyric word for word except to tell her friends to not judge her because she’s a neurosurgeon in the daytime and can do whatever she wants.

As they led one song to another, lead singer Nicholas Petricca, preached to crowds like if he were a youth pastor, telling everyone to be there for one another and love each other no matter what and began to sing “Different Colors” as the stage lit up like a rainbow. I couldn’t help but jump like a maniac and sing along with my friends when all of a sudden after only about six songs, their performance was done. It felt way too short and got me way too hyped in a short span of time. It was the greatest tease of the night because I knew right after that I’d have to see them again as soon as they come near me in a next tour.

Knowing Twenty One Pilots was coming soon, my friend Maria decided to try and push to the front to get my other friend her respirator and a good spot for the concert. It didn’t work for her at all and she even had a bit of a fight with a group that didn’t let her pass as they played some charades app in a circle with plenty of space to pass through.

Getting back, we didn’t know what to do until a mom overhearing suggested getting to security in the front so they could help us. We both went forward and after explaining our situation to security, they escorted me in front of all the crowds between the stage and barrier until I could reach my friend. It felt awesome being in that forbidden space that only security stands by for a few minutes until finally I stood up on the ledge and immediately saw my friend who had an amazing spot for the rest of the night although she had to fight the tough hours standing.

Going back, we started searching for the fifth spot we stood in the whole day and got a nice side view from the right side of the stage as Mutemath played in the other stage.

There were all sorts of people around us ranging from parents and their young kids to college students who came down from Georgia or 20-somethings doing something fun for the weekend. All came together to enjoy the shows and wind down before the start of a new week.

Since we were around the back, we decided to lay again even as Of Monsters & Men came out to play knowing they would be a band you can sing and relax to while listening. Although I do not enjoy their new album as much, I still enjoyed their music throughout the night and vibed off of it well while sitting next to some other young college students. As I stood far back trying to see them when I stood up, I wondered why the crowd was huge until I remembered that the festival was sold out. By this time at night, everyone was only looking at the main stage and it was packed like sardines in a tin can.

Barely seeing anything, I was a bit disappointed but cast all my worries away as soon as the moment I had been waiting for months had come at last and Twenty One Pilots took the stage.

Hearing a whir come through the speakers, I jumped high and saw a glimpse of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun as I began my attempt to rap along to “Heavydirtysoul.” It was horrible but I didn’t care and neither did anyone around me since they were doing the same shit.

All of a sudden, I became a wild maniac jumping front, backwards and every which way as songs from “Blurryface” played in the background. I was a straight up fool but couldn’t help but feed off of the energy they constantly gave me with their incredible upbeat rhythm.

As “Stressed Out” began to play, my friend and I screamed to each other acting out the lyrics we could such as “build a rocketship” and jumped even higher than before to get a view of the stage. Everyone was in their zone and there was no judgement.

Kids wearing red beanies just like Tyler and Josh’s stood on their parents shoulders to get a better view as everyone screamed along to each song like there was no tomorrow. Regardless of being able to see or not, I was in another world at that moment and couldn’t help but get in touch with the lyrics I had been hearing for months and started to cry as they sang the lyric “I’ve been thinking too much, help me” off of their song “Ride” which always got me so hyped. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t overthinking and just enjoying the fact that I was there with no stress next to my best friends making lifetime memories.

Other times, lyrics weren’t even necessary to get me emotional. During “Lane Boy”, I couldn’t help but dance my ass off with everyone around me as Dun smashed his drums harder and harder hyping everyone up. I don’t know what song it was specifically but a Dad and I couldn’t help but laugh at each other as we did the same weird piano move in the air.

Strumming his ukulele as crowds sang “yeah, yeah, yeah” along to “We don’t believe what’s on TV”, Joseph ran around like a maniac jumping from on top of his piano and swinging his hanging mic as he ran from one mic to another.

Many times, I have checked back on bands which had good singles and ended up loving a lot of their music. 

This happened again this week with Kings of Leon and I cannot stop listening to Aha Shake Heartbreak. This album came out before I ever even heard of Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” and has a soft-loud rythm to it throughout. 

“Milk” stuck out to me for multiple reasons.

My obsession with drinking milk

The girl in this song hates milk

Caleb Followill, lead singer, sounds like he’s pleading and howling for her to stay with simple, romantic lyrics which obviously make me want to sob

The consistent beating drums and guitar riffs are also simple but lovely

For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to go to many free concerts held at my university. Celebrating my last Homecoming this year, I was pumped when I heard that we were going to have Big Sean as our performer.

Getting tickets was not the easiest task but through social media, I got my free ticket the day of the concert and sat around the left side of the CFE arena.

After a bit of a wait, students were getting impatient and chanting for the concert to begin while two girls on the top bleachers decided to flash the whole campus. Soon after, the concert began and the rest of the arena matched the excitement those two girls had. . . OK, they weren’t that excited.

Before Big Sean came out, his opening act was Dan + Shay, a country duo. Getting crowds pumped is what opening acts purpose usually is but when they do not match the main act, it throws people off a bit and although they were good vocalists, it honestly did not entertain the crowds much except for their mashup of “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz and “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5.

Not that I do not enjoy country music, but the duo sounded as if they were performing strictly to win the X-Factor or any other american competition show. At one point, they invited the first people to tweet them back into their tour bus which was frankly a bit creepy.

Although they didn’t set the mood like opening acts should, the crowd still looked excited to be able to see Detroit rapper, Big Sean.

After about 20 minutes, a drummer, DJ and keyboard player came on to stage. I thought it was going to be another opening act which UCF usually likes to throw on stage together. Lights started beaming from the stage and Big Sean rose from out of nowhere the next second I looked back.

Rapping his verses from Mercy and Clique, the crowd got rowdy from the crowd downstairs to the back of the stadium. Walking like a toy robot multiple time across the stage, Big Sean rapped at a super saiyan speed barely pausing for breath.

At one point in the concert, he threw it back to his first album and performed songs which only certain fans of his before Dark Paradise knew. The lights unexpectedly changed to flashing rainbow colors as certain fans ran to the back and raved as if they were at Electric Daisy Carnival.

That soon ended as he continued with other songs such as “My Last” off his debut album. People swayed regardless of this change and ravers fled back to wherever they came from in the first place.

Speaking about growing up in Detroit, Big Sean explained why a common theme in his album was his grandma. She was his biggest inspiration and was one of the original black panthers. She told him that regardless of where he came from, he could change the world and achieve whatever he wanted through hard work.

His success is completely evident through multiple awards he had won just the day before at the BET awards. He continued by singing his latest single, “One Man Can Change The World” and the stadium was beautifully lit (in multiple ways than just phone screens).

Again, the concert shifted from its previous scene and there was a lion mascot getting wild all throughout the stage. With the pure excitement, no one minded this one bit.

Ending the concert with “Blessings” and “I Don’t Fuck With You”, everyone who had not already been standing was and screamed their lungs out with their middle fingers up to a song which has made Big Sean even more famous than he was since his debut album, Finally Famous.

Adele is back with her newest single in three years off of her new album coming out on November 20. 

This powerful ballad features Adele as a lost lover who is “making up” for her mistakes in past relationships. 

On Adele’s official social media accounts, she hinted that her long-awaited third album, titled "25," would explore her journey to adulthood and self-acceptance.

“I'm making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up with everything I ever did and never did,” Adele said.

As I stay in during this weekend due to an unholy amount of homework, I can’t help but procrastinate and look at people’s snapchat stories of iii points festival down in Miami. 

This festival is like a perfect mix of chillwave with indie music and truly uses local talent to support it. Although I cannot be there, I can imagine I am by listening to a lot of the great talent that will be playing there. Of course it’s not the same but it’s better than nothing.

When I was down in Miami about a month ago, I was going shopping with my brother and he put this track on. I was immediately enamored and the fact that it was in Spanish attracted me even more. I adore latin music so much because of how beautiful the Spanish language is and how it is expanding so much over the years to be influenced by everything around them besides just salsa, merengue and their original sounds.

During middle school, I started exploring music in ways which I had never done before. Many of my friends did too but I ignored many pop rock artists which they  listened to and still appreciate to this date.

About a week ago, my friend invited me to go to House of Blue Orlando with her and two other friends for a concert put by one of these bands, The Maine. It was free and in Downtown Disney so I instantly agreed.

For months, I had heard my friend talk about this band and would hear some of their catchy songs during car rides. A few hours later that day, I understood why she couldn’t stop going to see them and how great they are. 

What they stand for. This band is full of artists who love their fans and appreciate the art of music simply for what it is and nothing more. They want to share it with the world and from what I can tell, hate the fact that many people sell out over time and start making generic music just to please the world and make money.

Their enthusiasm. When you go to a concert, you want to see the passion through the artists faces and hear it through each vibration given off from their instruments. The Maine is full of so much energy and play each song with a huge smile on their face. The vibes they give off go through the audience and can’t help but make everyone grin back and want to dance their asses off along to the music.

They’re social and entertaining. If I go to a concert, I hope every time that the artists talk to the attendees and show us a little bit about them and what they are about. I also hope that their entertaining in this and make their show memorable not just through their music. Of course I don’t expect that out of every artist but it is something I hope to experience because it makes me more attached to these artists. During this Free For All Tour, The Maine truly connected with their fans. John O’Callaghan and Kennedy Brock constantly gave funny spiels after every few songs. Exchanging his socks with some thrown on stage, claiming an audience member as their son and showing him that bras are actually intended as head gear, O’Callaghan was a hilarious frontman who truly cares for fans and is proud to perform for them.

If there is one person who can make me instantly nostalgic and sad for no reason at all in an instant, it’s Bob Dylan. This song does just that.

Making me nostalgic for a lost love I’ve never had and full of wanting to give someone all my heart, this songs repeated plea for wanting someone and background piano accompanied by Dylan’s guitar and harmonica are dangerous. Depending on the time of the day and just how lonely I am feeling, it might just make me sob or at least stare at a wall which isn’t that horrible since the background to it all is this sweet sound. 

Hanging lights fell from the ceiling illuminating the audiences sweaty, rain drenched bodies in a technicolor shower with each bang and clap given by Canadian electronic duo, Purity Ring.

Delivering one of the top performances I’ve ever seen, Megan James and Corin Roddick blew the House of Blues Orlando up last night along with the best opening act I have ever seen, HANA.

Driving across town to get to the show felt like a mission as the grey skies started to cloud every visible white spot but luckily after running from the garage to the ticket office, we avoided the huge pour of rain which many eager fans waiting in line got caught in. After picking up my tickets (thanks again to Shows I Go To!), the rain died out a bit and we made a run to the venue.

This was my first time entering House of Blues Orlando and I was instantly enamored by every painting on the walls to the dope bathroom art. Almost every girl headed straight to the restroom to check their makeup and then looked for the perfect spot to get videos for their instagram accounts.

Being 5-feet-tall, I am grateful for platforms and stairs in certain venues and moved straight to them on the left hand side. Doors opened at 7:30 p.m. and after a bit of a wait which was not so miserable thanks to free wifi, the show began at about 8:30 p.m. with L.A. electronic pop artists, HANA.

The crowd began to cheer as a slim girl with long, dark purple hair wearing a black crop top with black leggings came out from behind the stage in front of her electronic set up. Quickly as the venues music shut down, she lit the place up with her music and hard beats making you feel as if you were inside of an anime.

With japanese umbrellas that lit up with different colors to each beat, HANA grooved as she sang along to her beautiful repetitive rythyms. Feeling each moment more than the last, she sang with unbelievable vocals which made the hairs in my arms rise with each sustained vibrato.

After a few songs, she greeted the crowd saying how happy she was to be in Orlando. She said she grabbed a delicious minnie mouse apple and followed it by a bass drop into another mythical sounding jam with heavy beats which made the crowd full of all ages sway like palm trees inside her space jungle.

HANA’s set was a perfect opener with a similar vibe and sound to Purity Ring. After she finished, there was a short wait time in which everyone around me anxioulsy tried to push forward to be able to get a good dance spot. Drunk people fell on top of me and teen girls trying beer for their first time constantly lured around me but the music and anticipation of seeing Purity Ring kept me sane.

Only 10 minutes after, “stranger than earth” started to play when Roddick took the stage and pink lights flared from each side of the stage. Soon after, an angelic voice started coming out of nowhere and the hanging beads which covered the scenario lit up and moved along to each song in technicolor.

“heartsigh” came on and Roddick started banging his set which lit up with white lights with every constant stroke.Lights came from high above as well as from glaring low lights set up around the stage as different fans on each side blew James’ hair in every way.

During “repetition”, everyone's rain drenched bodies couldn’t help but move along with each others in a wave along with the still red lights which shifted back and forth between pink. This was followed by Purity Ring taking it back to their first album, Shrines, with “Obedear”.

The room was dark to be quickly followed by the hanging lights green crescendo and Roddick’s light bangs against his drum machine as he constantly bobbed his head. Green lights which looked like a large green palm tree rose and disappeared repeatedly as James danced her heart away between each verse.

During the show, James said thank you to everyone and asked for two things with her softspoken and adorable canadian accent. She asked for no flash photography, which I can imagine is incredibly disturbing already being surrounded by all lights, and for everyone to continue being lovely and singing along with her.

Quickly, she continued jamming to her and Roddick’s own music and she even went up to bang on the drums with him. She climbed a ladder and then banged on a huge moon which also lit up with her strong bangs. At one point, she also wore disco gloves which reflected against all the lights as she played against a machine which lit up with every touch.

One of my top picks of the songs performed of the night was definitely “sea castle”. Starting soft, this song sounds like a castle rising until the dope beats along with catchy lyrics make you somehow move without even realizing it along with all the most beautiful and imaginable hues glowing across the venue.

Performing mainly songs off of “another eternity”, Purity Ring was a great show to experience overall. James voices gave goosebumps as it sounded so amazing live, the light show was unlike any other I have ever experienced and although I wish they would have performed songs like “Ungirthed” or “Grandloves (feat. Young Magic), it was still an amazing experience overall.

As usual, I was avoiding homework by going on Tumblr and looking up random stuff online which popped into my head. Scrolling down for about two hours, I came across two familiar faces with a song title dangling above them in Spanish.

I thought it was a mistake and so I clicked it and came across an ethnic sounding guitar with a buzz in the background followed by a duo melody of Simon & Garfunkel’s singing with accompanying flutes. This song is a cover version of a national Peruvian song.

it rings through me so much and I constantly play it before I go to sleep or even wake up (just like in Wild with Reese Witherspoon). Check out this throwback if you haven’t and follow my spotify for more music!

Purity Ring is coming to House of Blues Orlando on Saturday, September 12 for their another eternity tour.

As a typical broke college kid, I am hoping to win contests I entered into to win free tickets. The show will probably be an experience full of beautiful lights, Megan James beautifully angelic voice and sweaty hipsters swaying around the whole time.