I can finally cross off one of the top 3 items on my bucket list — I performed at my first open mic!!
Every year at Penn, the Inspiration and the Excelano Project collaborate for a night of love talk and slow jams. As an Inspiration alum I had already planned on attending the show, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take on one of my greatest fear — performing solo.
For once, right after I decided to perform, I had the perfect song in mind. “Almost Is Never Enough,” a power-ballad on Ariana Grande’s debut album Yours Truly was instantly one of my favorites off the top-charted release. The song, a duet with The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes, is the perfect mash-up of 90’s-inspired R&B, with the flair of a contemporary anthem.
Additional photos and video from the show coming soon!
I had been going back and forth about buying a Legends of the Summer ticket for months. I really wanted to experience a stadium concert and who better to see than two of my favorite artists?
The problem? The cheapest seats (in a stadium that holds 50,000) cost around $60-70.
My view from the ether aka the 400 section.
To me, what is special about a stadium tour is the ability to reach as many fans as possible, and as more people means more revenue (and less intimacy), I would like to think it would also mean a more reasonable ticket price.
But I guess if you can still sell out a stadium charging $60-300+, why not. Moving on.
What I Loved:
• Sold-out show!
• Justin showed the range of his talent jumping on the keys and even pulling out his acoustic guitar. Vocals were on point.
• The Tennessee Kids were showing out! (Would love, love, love to see Justin perform with them in smaller venue – the 14-piece band’s individual sounds get lost with the terrible stadium acoustics.)
• Though they both just put out new albums, Jay Z and JT chose to focus more on a “best of” from their respective catalogs and performed around 40 songs.
• As my Mom pointed out, no one was the bigger star. They were able to take their two different sounds and find the common threads that made for a great show!
My Critique:
• Everyone without floor seats has to rely on the screens on either sides of the stage to really get a feel for what is happening on stage, however, the screens seemed to be positioned for those who can already see what is going on by focusing on close-up shots of the pair.
Favorite Moment:
I got those shoes for free at Bob’s! Great find.
I missed the Trayvon tribute, but “Holy Grail” definitely sets the tone for the night! And of course at least 40,000* people singing a mash-up of “New York, New York” and “Empire State of Mind” in Yankee Stadium – can’t beat it.
Words of advice if you are attending?
• I would definitely suggest binoculars, as ridiculous as that sounds. • Keep it casual and comfortable. It is too hot to do otherwise.
It’s that time of year again!! Yesterday I made my way to Philly for my a cappella group’s spring 2013 show, Keep It Chordial. It was a great weekend filled with laughs, love, and of course, beautiful music. So good to see my ‘89 fam!
’89, iSing!
Below are a few of the night’s great performances. Hopefully I will upload the rest this week!
Watch the Inspiration perform “Only Wanna Give It To You” (originally by Elle Varner and J. Cole) below. (I was beeming from ear to ear to see my fellow alto and little sister Aleisha killing it, confident as ever!!!)
If you are often on my blog, you know I love a good acoustic performance. Watch Wes performance an original entitled “So Much I’ve Yet to Know.”
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Perhaps not the conventional choice for a show’s closer, the final performance was BRILLIANT.
A MUST WATCH!
“Don’t Wake Me Up” originally by Lianne La Havas ✮ Enjoy the arrangement and the stellar vocals for The Inspiration Director, Samantha T.
This was a special moment. The 2013 Inspiration seniors singing their final song.
—-So proud of all of you, the continued growth (as individuals and as a group) is SO evident. ♥
This weekend, I was all over Philly, New York, and Connecticut. First stop was Philly to see one of my all-time favorites, Brandy!
Seeing as I was definitely tardy for the party, I missed Brandy’s opening act Go Go Morrow, but I arrived just in time to see Brandy open her set. Her mission for the night was to give us the whole Brandy catalog in an hour and a half set, and trust me, it was no small feat.
Brandy performed songs from her new release Two Eleven and so many more including “I Wanna Be Down,” “Sitting on Top of the World,” “Angel in Disguise,” “Boy Is Mine,” “What About Us?” “Full Moon,” “Wildest Dreams,” a Whitney Houston medley, “Without You,” “Let Me Go,” and “He Is.” When she wrapped up with “Put It Down” I was left still trying to catch up as she took us through almost 20 years of music.
Two snaps to Brandy. Yes, honey!!
Find a great montage of her performance here. (Start at the 2:00 mark)
Brandy also had Luke James comes out and do a quick set for the crowd that included “I Want You” and “I.O.U.” Even though his entrance was a bit delayed, awkward, and confusing for the crowd, that was forgotten once he launched into “I Want You.” The ladies loved him (and so did I)!
BONUS: An inspirational story that came from the show — at one point during her set Brandy took the time out to thank her “fabulous” hair and makeup team.
Tatiana Ward, or @BeatFaceHoney as she is known on Twitter and YouTube, got the chance of a lifetime when her idol contacted her via Instagram to sing her praises and ask her to do her makeup for the Philly show. All in a few days her life has changed. She is now traveling with Brandy as one of her makeup artists!! Look at God!
If you are like me, and you should be, you have been dying for Jojo to announce a national tour. To hold you over until that day comes,Jojo will be live streaming a 30min set on Thursday, February 28!
Find more information and get your virtual ticket here!
There is no doubt Tiffany Evans can sing, but does she have what it takes to return to the music spotlight?
Tiffany, who starred in Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman at age 13, found some success with her single “Promise Ring” featuring Ciara in 2007.
After a hiatus, Tiffany returned to the scene again in 2010 when it was announced she would be working with Papa Knowles around the time his credibility and career were crumbling.
After parting ways with Knowles in 2011, getting married, and giving birth to a baby girl, the “I’m Grown” singer is back with her February release 143.
I have yet to listen to the whole EP, but I am liking the lead single “143 (I Love You).”
