rogelia

A trip to Mcdonalds..and a concert. Pt. II

I will start off by saying this is quite an interesting story, so buckle up for the ride.

Vocalists left to right: Merlyn, Joba, Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, bearface, Dom McLennon

BROCKHAMPTON concerts are known to be insane. I did some online research to see what the average time was when people lined up for the concert, and I discovered that people were arriving from 12 pm and up. This meant that if I wanted to get front row, I would have to leave school two hours early (school ends at 2:25 pm) because it takes an hour to drive from Newark, Delaware, to Philadelphia, and prior to this I would be taking an hour to get ready. So I packed my clothes the night before, and got ready at my friends house. Since the concert was going to be starting at 9:00 pm (yes, 9:00 pm), we also packed portable chargers, snacks, and earbuds to entertain us while we sat against a concrete wall. Thankfully, there was a Mcdonald’s nearby that was handy for when we were hungry, or even when we needed to use the restroom.

At one point in time, both of my friends needed to go so I just sat in line and saved our spots. Two minutes after seeing them, I receive a facetime call. I see that it’s one of them, so I confusingly answer to figure out what he wanted. As soon as I picked up the call, all I hear is the shriek of a little girl…oh no wait. That was just verosh. While I was trying to understand what he was saying due to the poor connection and high-pitched screaming, I noticed a familiar tune in the back. That wasn’t just any tune though. It was BROCKHAMPTON. While my friends were walking to the restroom, I guess they walked around an emergency door that’s next to the stage so they were able to hear them rehearsing for the show. I immediately ran over to them with excitement, and to be honest, it’s probably the fastest I have ever run. After fangirling for an hour by the doors, we went back in line and waited until 7:30 to be allowed into the venue. We were lucky and bought pre entry passes which allows us to get in before general admission to get better spots . Keep in mind that even though we waited hours prior to the concert, we still ended up third row. Even though this may seem close to some people, I was still determined to get to the barricade.

As soon as the lights turned off and the music blasted through the speakers, the crowd went insane. People were pushing from left to right, and it got to the point where I couldn’t even see what was in front of me, although my phone was able to capture what I couldn’t see. It is probably the sweatiest I have ever been, and i’m not even talking about my sweat. We were all a bunch of sardines in the crowd, but I guess you can say we were sweaty sardines in this case (or would it be wet?)

During the concert, my friends and I got completely separated. I somehow thankfully ended in the front, but one of my friends stayed in the third row, and the other one got pushed all the way back to the tenth row. Thankfully we all established that after the last song was finished, we would not stay for encore so we can go outside to try to get a chance to meet them. While my friend (who was in the third row) was walking out with me, a lady stopped us and asked us if we were going to the second Philadelphia concert the next night and I unfortunately said that I couldn’t go because I didn’t have any money to go another night. After I said that she offered me tickets for the show. I couldn’t believe that I was being offered FREE TICKETS to see them again the next night. Not only that, but she also gave us two extra tickets for any friends we would want to take. As soon as I walked out the venue, I screamed with enjoyment. There was no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t see them again the next day because this was a once in a lifetime experience. After we told our friend about the tickets, we sat outside behind the barricade for about an hour. We made friends with one of the security guards who was extremely nice and even gave use pretzels and water while we were sitting out in the cold. Finally, the members started to come out the doors. We were smart and chose to be on the opposite, empty side of the barricade because it will probably be more convenient for the artists so they aren’t bombarded with crowds of people. Most of them noticed us when we waved hello and asked them how they were which was already enough for us, but one of the lead vocalists from the group actually came up to us to talk and take pictures. At this moment in time, my heart dropped because of how nervous I was. Although, he was quite easy to talk to because he was extremely kind and friendly. As soon as he left, we all freaked out like maniacs. It was honestly one of the best nights of my life. And what made this even better was knowing that I was going to do it again the next day.

*All photos taken from my Iphone.

What’s a Brockhampton? Pt. I

Less than a week ago, I was fortunate enough to go to a BROCKHAMPTON concert with a few of my friends. Before I begin, I would like to address that within my next three blogs, I will be basing them around the group itself by starting out with some background information about the group itself. Following up, I will be releasing a blog based on my experiences and encounters while I was at the concert, and to conclude, I will do a reflection on what I enjoyed and did not enjoy at the concert overall.

If you are unaware of what BROCKHAMPTON is, they are a collective musical group that has 14 active members which includes vocalists, photographers, producers, videographers, and designers. The mastermind and ringleader of the group, Kevin Abstract, recruited most of the current BROCKHAMPTON members from a group he originally belonged to called “ALIVESINCEFOREVER.” Due to creative differences, him a few ex-members ventured out and they actually found the final members of the group from a famous hip-hop forum titled “KanyeToThe.” From there, they all moved down to San Marcos, Texas to pursue a dream and passion that they all shared: music that influences and inspires youth. Due to the fact that there’s so many members, they are constantly satisfying their fans by churning out albums and singles.

Vocalists left to right: Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Kevin Abstract, Bearface, Matt Champion, Joba

Just last year, they released a project known as the SATURATION TRILOGY, all of which they released within a few months apart. This year, they released their album IRIDESCENCE, which was recorded in ten days at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios. Immediately after releasing the album, they announced that they would be going on tour within the next month. I was ecstatic when I heard this news, although this meant that I was going to have to fit some time in my schedule to memorize the lyrics before the actual concert so I wouldn’t just be awkwardly standing there, bobbing my head and pretending to know what’s going on. From this point on, I would just be counting down the days until the night of my concert.

to be continued…

Links:

BROCKHAMPTON logo: https://www.reddit.com/r/wallpapers/comments/80o0fy/brockhampton_logo_wallpaper/

Group photo: https://ew.com/music/2018/10/03/brockhampton-iridescence-interview/

rock, indie, rap, oh my!

As a young kid, I wasn’t exposed to many genres of music. The only melodies that were able to reach my ear were from my old plug-in radio that only played kid friendly music such as Radio Disney. So one can only imagine how awful my taste in music was…although I don’t think you would want to (yes, I was a belieber). When I began middle school, I was not only exposed to awkward prepubescent boys who didn’t know what deodorant was, but I discovered a multitude of genres that were hidden from me my entire life. If you asked me to describe what rock was at the ripe age of eleven, I would have told you that rock is a group of middle-aged men who have spiked hair and wear foolish makeup (sorry KISS). What I soon learned was that Rock developed into many different styles such as classic rock, alternative rock, or even southern rock. As I have grown to love a wide variety of artists, I have also learned to appreciate and view music as an art.

cc2675618417d84b18a5a27d49c3cf6aa24ffe0d — Image from https://newrepublic.com/article/148039/kendrick-lamar-screambles-distinction-music-literature

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know who Kendrick Lamar is. He recently made history by being the first non-jazz or classical artist to take home a Pulitzer Prize this 2018. According to TheFader.com, Kendrick pulled in an increase of 236% in sales after the prize was announced as well as a 25% streaming increase. These are extremely impressing number, although this is no surprise to me and to many other fans. Lamar doesn’t rap just to rap, he raps towards a greater purpose. With his intricate word play and his brilliant use of vocal effects, he attracts many ranges of people, young or old. Kendrick never fails to amaze me with every project he comes out with. From his sophomore album good kid, m.A.A.d city, to his fourth album DAMN, he allows us to follow his past struggles he faced while growing up in the notorious city of Compton, California, to his current struggles that he faces as a thriving artist in the industry. Even If you aren’t a huge fan of rap, I highly encourage you to give him a listen.