Concerts I've Attended (2012-2014)

Over the years, I've been becoming a bit of an avid concert-goer. This has basically been a life goal for myself ever since I was little; the loud, energetic concert environment seemed to call my name. Granted, I don't go to too many shows: I see an average of one or two per year, but I've never really talked about them around here before with the exception of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who I've had the pleasure of seeing five times. I'd never be able to review a concert because they all make me extremely happy, so I figured I can put up a post discussing my most recent experiences every so often.

August 2012: Evanescence
Support: Chevelle, Cavo
Carnival of Madness Tour

I had only ever gone to Trans-Siberian Orchestra shows before seeing Evanescence, so this is technically my first real concert where people actually stand up and whatnot. One of the perks of this specific tour was that I also got to see Chevelle. I had always liked Chevelle beforehand, but I never truly got into them until seeing them live; I was quite impressed and really enjoyed their set. They're great performers. (Cavo performed a small set before Chevelle, but I've never been concerned with their music, personally.)

 

But, of course, I was most excited to see my favorite band since I bought their debut Fallen in 2005, Evanescence... I fangirled so much to the point that I probably should have been embarrassed. I probably did a little too much rocking out... especially during "Whisper," my favorite live Evanescence song that I have always wanted to see and hear I person (thus convincing me I would fit in better with a metal crowd), and I literally cried during "Lost in Paradise" and the final song of the night, "My Immortal," which caused a group of guys to stare in awe and point me out: I probably looked like a hot mess. It was an emotional rollercoaster overall, really. Evanescence was my go-to band for the vast majority of my teen years. Sure, their music is fantastic, but they're also my angst in a way. If something would go wrong, I'd put on an Evanescence song and suddenly I'd feel better. I've listened to their songs a million times, but seeing and hearing it live was a reminder of every connection I've made with the music, every moment I've looked up to Amy Lee as a human being... And there they were, close enough that I could distinguish the difference between Amy's sweat and body glitter. I was starstruck. Completely starstruck. I had major post-concert depression afterwards. And probably suffered damage to my vocal chords.

Other associated memories: One of the workers at the venue let me move from row CC to M for Chevelle, and then to row I (that's the letter, not the number) for Evanescence! I went to Joe's Crab Shack after this concert... They serve food in a bucket. A freaking bucket. It was awesome.

May 2014: Lady Gaga
artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball

 

It took a little while, but I finally got to see Lady Gaga. My real-life bestie Nick at Aural Fixation Reviews and I were supposed to see her during the Born This Way Ball in 2013, but she had to cancel the tour a few days before our show due to injuries. Fortunately, Gaga became healthy again, released ARTPOP, and could go back on the road so Nick and I could see her. And she puts on one hell of a show! She has clearly moved on from the past, for she only played one song from Born This Way (the title track itself, acoustic) and a selection of the biggest singles from her first two albums. Everything else was from ARTPOP. I must say, her voice sounds even better live than in the studio, and of course, her dancing and general performance level were on par. Heck, I didn't even just buy my tickets for the performance, I also just wanted to hear her talk! She's such a sweet, high-energy person. Since she loves clothes so much, many fans were throwing some stuff they brought (whether they made it or not) on stage and she'd wear them all... She was like a small child excited to play dress-up, and it was adorable. She also read a fan letter aloud on stage.

 

However, if I ever go see her again, I'm dressing up. Everyone around me at this concert was so glamorous covered in glitter... And there I was in jeans, Converse, and a t-shirt. I looked dull in comparison to those around me.

Other associated memories: Nick and I were semi-stranded for a little while after this show and then we got lost in a scary-looking side of town.

October 2014: Within Temptation
Support: Amaranthe
Hydra World Tour

Within Temptation is my favorite band along with Evanescence, and their lead singer (Sharon den Adel) has been a vocal idol for me, so I was certainly counting down the days until I could see them. It seemed that they'd always skip my general region for every tour, but not this one! Furthermore, I was in an entire venue full of people who actually knew who they were... OMG! Amaranthe opened, and while I'm not exactly crazy about them, I enjoy a few of their songs. They did a pretty good job, but I think there was something up with their  microphones so it was harder to hear the vocalists.

 

Since the venue was completely general admission and didn't have seats (if you ever have to go to one, be very patient and don't be too polite so that people don't shove you out of the way), I got there early and was in the second row for Amaranthe. I was in the front for every Within Temptation song except for the last three. THE FRONT ROW. It was a perfect scenario. They are top-notch performers: They bring plenty of energy and the songs sound perfect! The screen backdrop was actually broken for a good portion of the show, but I didn't even notice until someone brought it up later. I headbanged my earplugs out during "Stand My Ground," was completely mesmerized by Sharon den Adel's vocals during "Angels," and went bananas during "Mother Earth." I was able to make eye-contact with all the band members (except their drummer) and can barely be seen in the photo the band took in the crowd when you zoom in at about 300%. It was fantastic; I was in such a good mood for literally days afterward.

 

Other associated memories: Traffic sucked on the way to the venue and brought on some major anxiety. Got home at two in the morning and went to university at eight in the morning... It was worth it!

ARTPOP | Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga caught my attention during The Fame Monster's (her sophomore album) era. I was quite fed-up with pop music at the time (and I suppose, in many ways, still am), but her music was the only thing that could keep me checking pop radio stations. I could proudly declare myself a fan when she released Born This Way, which has been my favorite Gaga album for the entirety of its existence. I've listened to it so many times to the point I've kind of burnt myself out on it, so I'm definitely due for some new material.

 

But now, she has released ARTPOP, and I have a new favorite pop record. To be honest, I wasn't so sure how I'd respond to ARTPOP no matter how good it is since I've been so engulfed in the symphonic metal realm as of late, but Lady Gaga just has an undeniable quality in her pop music that even I cannot degrade.

 

"Aura" opens the album with a peculiar, almost western-esque beginning before the song explodes with laughter into, well, madness. From then on, it's Electronic City, and I love it. Gaga seems to be singing with some sort of accent in the verses, and lyrically, "Aura" has a combination of meaningful and playful lyrics. Eventually, her voice is synthed-up in a bridge-like portion before the second, which can easily be seen as one of the song's highlights. This new heavily-electronic direction is certainly appealing, and it's something I hoped would stick around for the rest of the album in some form or another.

"Venus" comes right after "Aura," and my pop music prayers are answered. While "Venus" isn't as electronically intense as "Aura," it still has that heavier electronic vibe that I love so much. More people would be able to appreciate "Venus" since the chorus is a little calmed down with catchiness, but it still has a quality that rises above a vast majority of modern pop music. The chorus might actually be my favorite part, but I still love the verses. The middle eight of this song escalates as Gaga pays homage to the rest of the planets, and I'll admit, it's a bit corny, but it would take a lot to ruin the song. Altogether, "Venus" puts me in the mind of older electronic groups with its spacey vibe, almost like Depeche Mode, but not quite.

Next, we have "G.U.Y." (which stands for "girl under you"). It begins with a narration that references mythology before picking up to a very danceable first verse. Obviously, this song is sexed-up, but it also talks about taking control and breaking what could be considered a female cliché, going against what listeners may initially expect. "G.U.Y." is very catchy, and I imagine it'll be widely well-liked. But the fourth track isn't shy about sex references even in its title. It's called "Sexxx Dreams" - I'm sure you all can figure out what it's about. This track takes a different turn from the first few since it's more mellow and dark during the verses, but it picks up during the chorus. It's not one of my favorites.

The flavor of the album completely changes with "Jewels N' Drugs," which is a collaboration with T.I., Too $hort, and Twista. I'm not the biggest hip-hop fan, but there have always been exceptions. "Jewels N' Drugs," for the most part, is one of them. The instrumental is really badass and Gaga's harmonies in the chorus sound great, but I think I'll have to be in a certain mood to fully appreciate this one. Like I said, hip-hop isn't really my forte.

Yet another change is upon us within the split-second that "MANiCURE" begins. (No, it isn't actually about getting Gaga's nails done.) First and foremost, it is a pop song, but some rock elements are thrown in as well. My best friend Nickster mentioned in his review that Gaga's vocals (particularly in the verses) can remind one a bit of Joan Jett, and I definitely agree. She really belts it! Plus, we get some guitar action, a little bit within the chorus, but a more significant amount at the end. "MANiCURE" is such a fun song; I can already tell that I'll be listening to this when I'm having a good day.

Follwing "MANiCURE" is "Do What U Want," which is a mellowed-out track that features R. Kelly. This is definitely one of my favorite songs from ARTPOP. The instrumental puts me in the mind of Depeche mode, and even though I've never really heard much from R. Kelly other than that comical "Trapped in the Closet" song, I ended up liking his contribution to this track. An excellent collaboration and an excellent song in general.

The next song is the title track, right in the middle of the album. "ARTPOP" is probably the funkiest gem of all, and I absolutely love it! It's creative and classy, not to mention catchy. A string line is prominent through much of the song, tying the groovy synths together in a very smooth fashion. "Swine," however, might have the weirdest instrumentation. I swear, I'm hearing hiccups! Anyway, Gaga's vocals get sassy in this song; if voices could do a Z-snap, this is what it would sound like. I like the instrumental breakdown after the first chorus, but like I said, I keep hearing this hiccup-like sound throughout, and I don't think I like it. Maybe the general sound will grow on me, but for now... Eh.

But Gaga's sassiness comes full force in "Donatella," particularly with all the mention of size, fashion, and wealth. I really love every moment of this fun, fashion-oriented song, and the chord progression in the chorus gave me chills somehow. I must memorize the lyrics to the half sung, half yelled pre-chorus soon, because I'm already ready to start yelling it along with the music. I'm dancing in my chair as I type this and listen to it, actually... Typing and dancing isn't as easy as I thought it'd be.

The subject of fashion is still prominent on the next track, "Fashion!" (Pretty self-explanatory, eh?) This track opens with a pretty piano part before the chilled verse comes in with a very noticeable bass line. Gaga's voice is especially jazzy in the verses, but I'm really not a fan of all the "lookin' good and feelin' fine" bits. "Fashion!" doesn't really float my boat, but the next track, "Mary Jane Holland," gets better. It turned out quite nicely in terms of electronic structure.

Nearing the end of ARTPOP, we run into a very heartfelt piano ballad bound to tug at heart strings called "Dope." Electronic elements add in throughout the song, but they don't take away from the primary piano line. "Gypsy" starts out in a way that might make us think that we're in for another piano ballad, but electronic elements take precedence rather quickly and carry on for the whole song. It's a great song; almost like a combination of "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" and "Marry the Night" in some musical senses. Another home run for Gaga; another favorite Gaga song for me.
 

The album ends with "Applause," which was the first single and could be seen on cute Kia commercials. It seems appropriate for this song to be the final track so we can all applaud her at the end of the album, and it certainly isn't a bad song. It was a perfect single choice, but I'm just generally not too enthused about it, probably because it's the most mainstream and I'm always looking for something more experimental. Lyrically, I've never really been able to understand the need for this wording: "Give me that thing that I love/ Put your hands up, make 'em touch." But, I digress. It's not my favorite, but it isn't bad, and I suppose it was the best way to end ARTPOP.

Even though there were a few songs here and there I wasn't quiet as crazy about, I'm crazy about ARTPOP as a whole. This is a truly fantastic album. It's so cool to see how much better Gaga has gotten since her debut album, The Fame. Her musicianship just keeps expanding and evolving with each and every album, as does her voice; she doesn't hesitate to sound as jazzy as her voice naturally is, and I've always loved her voice because of that aspect.

So, how is it possible for a superfan of symphonic metal who enjoys musical complexities and abnormalities to love Lady Gaga so much? There's a reason why she stands out so much to me; go listen to ARTPOP and you'll find out. 

Born This Way | Lady Gaga

Little Monsters, rejoice! Mother Monster is back with her new album, Born This Way, a wide variety of unique sounds and ideas that is just as good as (or even better than) her previous creation, The Fame Monster.

(However, I would like to say that I am reviewing the standard version. I am an owner of the Expanded Edition, and it has seventeen tracks on disc one and remixes on disc two. I especially encourage the purchase of this version because it includes the track "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion," which is like going to a fashion show, yet at the same time admiring Jesus! The first disc also includes "The Queen" and "Fashion of His Love.")

The album opens with "Marry the Night." Right away, I knew that it was one of the most empowering (yet somehow sad) song any pop star has done. The synthetic chords fit together so spectacularly that it gave me chills, sort of like The Fame Monster's impact, but stronger. All in all, this song is kind of everything. It's happy, it's carefree, but something about it is so much deeper.

Of course, the next track is the lead single from the album, called "Born This Way." The intro is epic, with a narration from Gaga, and it sort leads to a random explosion of sound. I'd like to call this the first ever pop gospel about how everyone is beautiful no matter what because they were "Born This Way." But then the next song is "Government Hooker," and this is where things get weird, even for Gaga. A mystic, operatic beginning leads to an electronic, bass-thumping sound, and obviously the lyrics of this song are quite sexually provocative (I mean come on, it's about being a hooker).

Next up is "Judas," which is one of the bounciest songs on the album with it's pop/electronic synthezisers and Lady Gaga's accented vocalizing that puts Shakira to shame. This is definately a favorite of mine. "Judas" isn't the only culture exploring song though, "Americano" is clearly a Spanish-influenced song, and she speaks much more Spanish in this than in the Spanglish in her last album. ("Hair" follows this song, and it brings more of a positive message about being free.) Also, "Schibe" is spoken in some German, and it's definately the song from Born This Way that will most likely be played in clubs world-wide since it's energy is off the charts.

"Bloody Mary" is track number eight, and it is the darkest Lady Gaga song that the world knows of. It's almost a dark-cabnet type of song, resembling the style of little-known singer/violinist Emilie Autumn. She screams twice, and there are points in the verses where she practically growls. The bridge is epic, with a male choir singing "Ga-ga." Being a fan of creepy music, this is probably my favorite from the album.

"Bad Kids" is something that reminds me of the 80's, in musical content as well as lyrical content. You just don't hear songs like this anymore, where "Bad Kids" are the cause of their parents divorce and are 'punks.' Anymore, being bad is all about smoking something illegal and sex. This song surprised me. "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" is another empowering track with a fabulous ending, and is completely unlike "Bad Kids" but both songs have less of an electronic vibe. The drums are very potent "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" and you get some guitar action in "Bad Kids".

Next up on the standard edition is "Heavy Metal Lover," though no metal is included. It's very electronic, in the same sense of "Government Hooker" but the songs don't sound the same. Gaga's voice almost blends with the music, and it's catchy, yet sort of relaxing. It's sort of in league with "Electric Chapel" in the sense that it's relaxing, but the songs are so different in influence, for we're back to the 80's again with "Electric Chapel." The guitars run off and on throughout with an electric flow, and sometimes church bells are heard, making the whole thing sort of eerie in the midst of it's energy.

"You and I" serves Gaga's tradition of putting something kind of old school in her albums, with a blusey piano and almost unsynthesized guitars and drums. It's the love song of the album, the song you belt out in the shower. It kind of shows how Lady Gaga is influenced is influenced by stuff that's totally different than majority of the songs she writes.

The final song is called "The Edge of Glory," and it's happy and sad all at once. It's a chill-inflicting pop song, and so far, Lady Gaga has been the only one to accomplish such a thing. Saxophones are in parts of the song, giving it a pop-jazz-nighttime feel, especially as it fades out, ending the song. Put your paws up for this one, because there's some sort of unexplainable beauty about this song.

Born This Way will not disappoint fans, I can garuntee that. If anything, it'll grant Lady Gaga even more fans (is that even possible?) because of all the different types of sounds compacted into one magnificent album, all put together by one person. Thank you, Gaga!

5/5 Stars

The Fame Monster | Lady Gaga

After Lady Gaga's explosion of success with her debut album, The Fame, hopes were set high for her 2009 album, The Fame Monster. Although there are huge differences between The Fame and The Fame Monster (mostly lyricwise), this album will not let you down, no matter what.

The Fame Monster opens nicely with the quirky but serious "Bad Romance". This song is about loving someone for EVERYTHING, even the ugliest, most bizzare parts of their personality. That's probably one of the coolest things Lady Gaga could have done - open her new C.D with a song that tells you, the listener, that she loves you for ever one of your flaws.

"Alejandro" opens with a pretty but sad violin part, leading into a build up of an electronic sound. Even though this is definately not the peppy song on the album, it's one that you'll dance around the room to while croaking out the lyrics as loud as you can. In this song, Lady Gaga says goodbye to past lovers, and corrects them: "Don't call my name, don't call my name..."


The third track is called "Monster". It has most interesting lyrics... Lady Gaga sings "He ate my heart" throughout most of the song, making it better than most pop songs with its unusualness. It's filled with overlapping vocals and has a bouncy and repetative chorus.

"Speechless" follows, and I was surprised when I heard it. The main instrument is piano, and the whole song has a very pleasant vibe - it's classy, out of decade, blues meets The Beatles, mixed with Elton John. What's not to like? It's a great song for everytime of day, chilling out and doing nothing. Lady Gaga's voice is soothing, yet still fierce.

"Dance In the Dark" has a build-up of an intro. It's a meaningful song that you can dance to, just like the other tracks on The Fame Monster, but to me, it's more special than the others, mainly because I can relate to it more. "Dance In the Dark" is the anthem for girls like me that may not be too comfortable in their skin and want to hide (or dance) in the dark. The first time I heard this song and knew what Lady Gaga wrote it about, I wondered if Lady Gaga wrote this just for me. The whole feeling kind of overtook me and I cried during its amazing ending.

The party song of this album is "Telephone" and it's a duet with Beyonce. I'm not a fan of Beyonce, but she did well in this song. It's full of repeated vowels and has cool vocal effects. It ends with a sort of 'finale' of sections of vocals, and finishes with the harp tune it began with. This is the most difficult song from The Fame Monster to find the true meaning to. (Good luck, poets!)

Even though the lyrics to "So Happy I Could Die" are beyond strange and make me worry, it reminds us of something we can all relate to: Being so happy and relaxed. This track is very mellow and quite calmer than the other Gaga songs.

The eighth and last track of The Fame Monster is called "Teeth". An unusual song title for a very bizzare (but very cool) song. I'm not really sure how to describe this song, so bear with me. "Teeth" definately has a sound of its own. In a way, it's like poppy jazz, and somehow Lady Gaga can pull this off, like "Speechless". Not many artists could sound so good doing different styles, but she definately pulls it off without hesitation. One thing I find interesting about it is that Lady Gaga doesn't use stupid metaphors like other pop artists do when they try to talk about sex - she makes it obvious; clear as crystal.

The Fame Monster is full of sounds, styles, and meanings. Each song is completely unique and creative, and I loved it.

4.5/5 stars

The Fame | Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's debut album, The Fame, opens with "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis). It's a fun, party song and a fabulous introduction. From there, the listener is led to the more electronically serious songs, "Lovegame", "Paparazzi", and the infamous, "Poker Face". "Lovegame" is a bouncy, but somewhat stern track, which is perfect to lead to my favorite song from The Fame: "Paparazzi". "Paparazzi" is modern electronic art at its best, with its psychotically awesome lyrics and hardcore electric riffs. It's also one of the more mellow songs from this album, and it's quite phenominal in its strangeness and edginess. Anyone who listens to this and doesn't know that Lady Gaga is going to be as big as Madonna is crazy.

After the infectious "Poker Face" comes "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" - my least favorite from The Fame. It's a cute and corny short track, and is followed by a funky track entitled "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich". The next two songs are "The Fame" and "Money Honey". Both are materialistic songs that are obviously centralized around fame and money.

"Starstruck" includes Space Cowboy and Flo Rida. Flo Rida ruined the cool Lady Gaga and Space Cowboy Effect for me, but I'm sure most will disagree.

I liked "Boys Boys Boys". One of the things I've noticed about this album's lyrics is how Lady Gaga uses an unusual amount of imagery. That imagery is evident in this track, but it doesn't make this track as memorable as the others. "Paper Gangsta", for example, is one of the songs from The Fame that I find most memorable. The idea of combining piano with an edgy electric rythm was a very good idea, Ms. Gaga. This leads well into the blues-ish song, "Brown Eyes".

"I Like it Rough" is hard for me to understand lyric wise.

The ending note is track fourteen, "Summerboy". It's one of my favorite summer-based tunes, and a very nice end to The Fame, being one of two of the most innocent songs on The Fame.

From beginning to end, Lady Gaga experiments with sound and styles. All in all, she sings of love and fame in the most creative and visual of ways. It's catchy, it's classic, and it's the face of modern electronic music. This album is a very memorable piece of modern art in my collection of C.Ds and millions all over the world - let alone defined the future.

4/5 stars