There’s a British boy band that my sister and I happen to like, called The Wanted. They’re HUGE in Britain. Their debut single was #1 on the UK charts and their performances draw thousands of fans.
And it just so happens that they’re trying to break through the US! So, recently, they came to NYC to hold a concert. And my sister and I, naturally, decided to go.
So we ventured off to a little place called Irving Plaza. The concert was held in what was really just a room– no seats, floor only. I had never been to a small venue like that. So I had no idea what to expect.
Well, I did expect this:
But I wasn’t sure how to handle this:
I’ve never had so many people scream into my ear in one night. Not that I cared. I was joining right in with the high-pitched squealing. I mean, look at these BOYS!
But I had a great time! Their set was way too short– only a mere hour long– but it was a great hour. They all have amazing voices and harmonize really well together! And all of them brought great energy to the stage. Basically… I want The Wanted. No big deal.
Don’t know who The Wanted are? Listen to their debut single below! Admittedly, I don’t think all of their songs are that amazing, but this one’s pretty awesome. And they have enough charm and dripping good looks to make up for a few flat songs.
Until recently, I’ve only been to one concert. That one being Coldplay, on their Viva la Vida tour, at the Hersheypark Stadium in 2009. They were amazing. Simply incredible. I listened to only Coldplay songs for the next month.
So after that night I wanted more. My sister likes to tell me about all the concerts she’s been to at her university, much to my jealousy. But now I’m in Boston, a big city! It’s sure to have live music.
And free live music!
MIXfest is one of those free concerts sponsored by a radio station, in this case Mix 104.1. The show is free, so attendance is high. I’m talking about the tens of thousands. My friends and I wanted to be near the front, so we arrived there four hours early. Even then, there were people there… protecting their territory.
I guess I can’t blame them. It got pretty crowded.
So we sat near the front and amused ourselves for a few hours. One of my friends is a HUGE Sara Bareilles fan. As she was one of the acts at the concert, I helped him display his love:
At 3:40 sharp, the concert began. Our warm-up act was Javier Colon, winner of the TV show The Voice. And indeed, he has a beautiful voice.
Next up was Michelle Branch. I have to say, she isn’t as good live as she is in studio. But she was good nonetheless.
Then, easily the act everyone was most excited for (especially my utterly romantically infatuated friend) Sara Bareilles:
All throughout this, I was trying to film the music and take photos. And I wasn’t in a bad position for it– right at the front, behind only two guys. But I’m short. My arms tire from holding a camera in the air. So my videos got constantly intruded upon, most often by this angry bouncer:
After Sara Bareilles was a relatively unknown act, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I thought this band was just a filler between Sara and the last act, the popular Lifehouse. So did the crowd, which reacted unenthusiastically when the band came out. Wrong reaction. This band was electrifying.
By their last song, they had the crowd going. The band was so energetic, so genuinely happy to be on stage, and so in sync with each other, it was hard not to catch their enthusiasm.
And lastly, Lifehouse! All I can say about them: their lead singer, Jason Wade, is a good-looking man. So when he ran off stage and sang to the crowd (with the following photos showing how close we were to him)
…I pretty much did this:
Seriously. If you go to 1:12 of this video, you can hear someone squeal “Ohhh my god!” in the background. Yeah. That’s me. It was justified– they’re a fantastic band!
So that was the second concert of my life! All in all, pretty incredible. I’ll be listening to Lifehouse and Grace Potter for the next month or so, don’t mind me. Now if only the other concert venues in Boston were free, I’d be set…
So where do you kids go for concerts? Any bands you’ve seen, or want to see? Where’s the best place to buy tickets?
And if you want to see any of the (low-quality) videos I took, just go to my youtube channel!
Or just bask in the awesome that is Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. (If only videos could do the real thing justice…)
But I wasn’t sure how to handle this: 
But I had a great time! Their set was way too short– only a mere hour long– but it was a great hour. They all have amazing voices and harmonize really well together! And all of them brought great energy to the stage. Basically… I want The Wanted. No big deal.
Don’t know who The Wanted are? Listen to their debut single below! Admittedly, I don’t think all of their songs are that amazing, but this one’s pretty awesome. And they have enough charm and dripping good looks to make up for a few flat songs.
