Let's begin.
Friday, April 22, 2011. 4:30 pm. Excitement is in the air. Shirts are being thrown and clothing is strewn across the room in an effort to get dressed and arrive at Workplay on time - on time meaning two hours early, one hour before the doors even open. But we arrived with time to spare and ended up about three rows away from the stage. B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. After the two hour wait with nothing to do but take rather embarrassing pictures of ourselves, we were ready to hear some good opening acts.
Now, I set a lot of stock into the opening acts of shows. This show had two chances to get it right and
nailed both openers: Ximena Sarinana and Elizabeth & the Catapult.
Since I'm going to be a Spanish minor next year, I was super-pumped to hear an actual Mexican singer-songwriter. My first taste of Spanish folk music was delicious. I loved Ximena and her cognate-entitled Spanish songs. Also, I youtube stalked her and found out that she's actually pretty famous in Mexico, so that just upped her cool for me. I mean, to go from playing to huge crowds and being able to sing in her first language to opening for an opening act in her second language has to be a challenge. So props to you, Ximena.
I loved Elizabeth & the Catapult just as much. Such a good-looking group. Elizabeth was just too cute and her guitarist was adorable (kinda want to marry him) and her drummer? hilarious. The three of them are obviously just so so passionate about their music; it's difficult to criticize people that love what they do that much. Quirky, funny, great music.
All this goes to say: check 'em out.
And now time for Sara.
I'm not going to give you an extensive description on every song Sara Bareilles played. Just my favorites. But believe me when I say the setlist was impeccable.
She started the set with what I had hoped she would begin with at the Nashville concert I attended in October. As she entered, a retarded recording of Kaleidoscope Heart was playing with the lights flashing and the beat syncopated in imitation of a heartbeat. After Kaleidoscope Heart closed, Sara immediately transitioned into Uncharted, which is exactly what I prayed for her to do. Seriously, if you have ever listened to the Kaleidoscope Heart album, you should know that these two songs are written to be played back to back. Same key, similar message... it's like some sort of perfect balance of musicality.
Sara then did a mash-up between Cee Lo Green's Forget You (ahem) and her own song Get Over You, two more songs that are just meant to be played back to back. She's a genius, she really is. I had hoped that she'd play this little "medley," but doubted it. Sara just never disappoints.
Not gonna lie, I was a little upset with this show's version of Gravity, which is not only my favorite Sara Bareilles song, but my favorite song of all time. I think the reason for my disappointment was because Sara's live versions are usually 100x better than the recordings, but this performance of Gravity sounded exactly like the cd. The fact that the girl next to me was belting out the song did not help things either. I mean, come on. It's called common courtesy sweetheart. Just cause you think you sound great does not mean that others around you do.
Anyway...
Remember what I said about certain covers being better than the originals? Yeah, Sara proved my point Friday night. Sorry, Coldplay, but Sara's rendition of Yellow takes the cake. I can't say the same for her cover of Mumford and Sons's Little Lion Man, but it is definitely a close second. She definitely does the song justice.
But the reason I loved this concert is not just because of Sara's perfect pitch, her sharp wit and connection to the audience, or even her uncanny ability to make her voice and fingers do exactly what she wants them to do. I loved this show because of what Sara's music has meant to me throughout high school. I can remember the first time I heard Love Song: lunchroom, ninth grade, voicemail from Amanda Smeltzer telling me "YOU'LL LOVE THIS SONG!" And how right she was. I can relate specific events to Sara's music. I can recall crying over a boy while listening to Gravity, road tripping to a beach trip where Love on the Rocks was all that I listened to, belting out Many the Miles when I needed a pick-me-up, and relating to every single desperate word in City.
And that's the greatest thing about music. How it brings us back to a certain place and time in our lives, happy or sad. Because regardless of whether it was a good or bad time, these times, they are parts of us, as are the songs that carried us through them.
So, on the off-chance that Sara Bareilles ever does read this blog, I want to give her a shout out of gratitude. Because I am so grateful for all that she has contributed to music. I don't know what my life would be like without her songs to save me.
But you never know, she might read this. Cause we're practically BFFs after our brief meeting nearly 3 years ago.
My first dress I ever bought from Urban Outfitters.
I don't know why I'm subjecting myself to this embarrassment, but people do crazy things for the musicians they love.
And I love me some Sara.
And did I mention that we went to the Cheesecake Factory after? Cause I should have. It was delicious.
Clumsy.
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