Badlands OOTD and Concert Experience

My final summer hurrah before heading back to Gettysburg for senior year was a trip into Manhattan with my nuggz Brianna (check out her blog here) to see Halsey play the final stop of her Badlands tour at Madison Square garden.

I wanted an outfit that was going to be cute and comfy, so I chose to wear a rust colored ribbed t-shirt dress and low wedges. I also wanted a bag that wasn’t big and bulky, so I went for my cherry red Michael Kors crossbody bag.

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Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Payless
Bag: Michael Kors (no longer available)
Sunglasses: Francesca’s (no longer available)

The show itself was phenomenal. It had been over a year since I had last seen Halsey perform, so I was super excited to have the chance to see her play the last show of the Badlands tour. She puts so much passion into each performance – so much so that when the visuals weren’t working three songs in, she restarted the whole show! (I’m not complaining; I got to hear Gasoline live twice in one night) Watching what is quite possibly my favorite album ever come alive before me was a magical thing to witness. I have never screamed lyrics louder or felt more at home at a concert before. She also brought out the Chainsmokers as a special guest to perform their single Closer, which turned the whole arena into a rave for four minutes or so. She also closed the show with Young God, the last song off of her album. It was the perfect closure to the end of the Badlands era. Visiting the Badlands at Madison Square Garden was something that I will never forget.

xo, Angela
Twitter: angelamarieparr
Instagram: angela.parr

Summer Concert Roundup

Summer is prime concert season. There’s just something special that happens when you combine warm air, great music, and good vibes; some of my favorite memories were made at summer concerts. I’ve been lucky to go to a few concerts so far this summer, so I wanted to share my experiences of them!

The first show I went to this summer was Vevo Presents Ariana, an intimate 300-person preview of her new album Dangerous Woman before it was released. It sold out in about ten seconds – I still don’t know how I managed to snag tickets to it! It was held in a gorgeous converted church in downtown Manhattan. There’s something really wonderful about going to a small show. It never feels like you’re at a concert, but more like you’re singing along to your favorite songs with a bunch of friends and one of them just happens to be Ariana Grande, aka one of the best vocalists of our generation. She was absolutely adorable the whole time, and she kept getting emotional because we knew all the words already, even though the album hadn’t been released yet. I’m so grateful that I got to experience that.

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The next concert I went to was 5 Seconds of Summer’s Sounds Live Feels Live tour at Mohegan Sun. If you know me, you know I’m a huge 5SOS fan but the timing never works out for me when they tour in the area, so it had been nearly two years since I had last seen them live. My best friend Brianna and I had soundcheck tickets, which was an amazing experience as we sat second row! The band played three songs that had been taken off the set list, answered a bunch of fan questions, and were just generally adorable and goofy. It was great to interact with them in a more relaxed setting. After soundcheck, we had a little bit of time to kill, which was great because it gave us time to grab a bite to eat and hang out with our friends that we meet up with at just about every 5SOS event. The show itself was a masterpiece! The guys were jamming out and the crowd was electric. They have so much more talent than they’re given credit for – from Ashton’s drumming to Michael’s guitar skills to Calum’s groovy bass to Luke’s showmanship – and it was just magical to witness live. Sounds Live Feels Live will be a show that lives on in my heart forever.

Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams tour at MetLife Stadium was next on my calendar. I made the trek out to Jersey to see the concert with my friend Amber, who I hadn’t seen since 2014, so it was a memorable reunion! After a quick dinner at Olive Garden, we made our way to the stadium. We knew we had good seats (they were floor tickets) but as we kept walking closer to the stage we couldn’t believe how amazing our view was! I had never seen Coldplay live, so I was excited to see what they would do. They had to be one of the most high-energy acts I’ve ever seen. Their energy was infectious and the whole crowd got involved via these bracelets we were given at the start of the show, which lit up in different colors and patterns to make the entire stadium a rainbow during the show. It was incredible! They did a great mix of old favorites and new songs, as well as a fan-requested oldie that they typically don’t play live. I was really glad I got to see them, as this is their last tour for a while.

Lastly, I went to Panorama Music Festival! I got three-day passes for free, however due to work and the insane Manhattan heat I only went to day two. I was really excited to go, because I had never been to a music festival and it was their inaugural event. My sister Caroline and I trekked across the river to Randall’s Island (which is also a great gem to visit if you’re ever in Manhattan!) and parked ourselves near the main stage when we first got in; we just chilled in the shade while listening to Ex Hex, who I had never heard of before but really vibed with. After their set, we went exploring around the festival grounds, visiting the MTV and Macy’s tents before grabbing the best tacos I ever had. We hung out near the graffiti art installations to listen to Foals’ set from afar, which I was okay with because the heat was so brutal. We finished off the night with salted vanilla ice cream and Sufjan Stevens’ set, which we were right in front for; he had an incredible performance factor! It was really cool to see the way he remixed his songs for the festival and how he presented them. Despite the heat, I’m really glad I went! Panorama was really cool, and I hope I get the chance to go back again in future years.

Have you gone to any concerts this summer? Share your summer concert memories in the comments below!

xo, Angela
Twitter: angelamarieparr
Instagram: angela.parr

Music & My Life

Music is such an important part of my life. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t. My Pandora has been thumbed up and down so many times that it is almost always in tune with the mood that I have set for each station. The iTunes library on my laptop is overflowing with music from every corner of the universe: top 40, alternative, indie, rock, and the occasional rap or country song. My taste in music changes like the wind. Some days I’m all about the breathy Ellie Goulding and my girl Halsey. Other days all I want to do is listen to The 1975 and the Black Keys. And other days still, I just can’t get enough of One Direction. I’m glad my taste in music varies so much: there is ALWAYS something for me to listen too, no matter what mood I’m in.

I’m so lucky to be experiencing such an amazing time in music. I don’t think there has been a generation of music listeners that has had such a varied and widely celebrated breadth of artists to listen to.

There’s something about music that just unites people. I have made some of my best friends waiting in line at a general admission concert or on twitter discussing our favorite bands. I can’t think of anything more thrilling than those moments when the lights go down in a venue right before an artist walks out onstage and the audience is electric, holding our collective breath in anticipation for that song that we all know so well. People from all walks of life, waiting for the exact same thing. I think that’s just beautiful.

xo, Angela
Twitter: angelamarieparr
Instagram: angela.parr

Olly Murs at the Palais Theatre

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing Olly Murs at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne. Being in another country isn’t going to stop me from going to concerts! I’ve been a huge fan of Olly for years, and I’ve seen him twice before. Once was during a two-song set at Z100’s Jingle Ball, when he was a filler artist, and the other was back in March, at his Never Been Better album release party, where he performed an acoustic set. Since Olly hasn’t broken out in the US as much as he has overseas, this was my first chance to see him in his full element: backing band, dancing, chatting with the audience… the works! Needless to say, I was excited.

I went by myself. It wasn’t the first time I’ve gone to a concert solo – cue One Direction throwbacks circa 2012 – and honestly, I don’t mind it. Going to a concert by yourself really lets you immerse yourself in the show. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t gone to a concert by themselves. I digress. Despite only buying my ticket a few days before the show, I had a great view and was seated in the thirteenth row, as the single seats are often left dispersed throughout the audience (another plus of going to a show by yourself!).

Olly was electric onstage! He was moving and dancing the whole time. His presence was phenomenal. I’m still baffled as to why so many people don’t know him, despite being on his fourth record and being the superstar that he is. He did not stop for the entire ninety minutes onstage. From performing fan favorites like Heart Skips A Beat and Dance With Me Tonight – the latter including a lot of booty shaking! – to newer gems like Did You Miss Me? and Never Been Better, Olly showed a great depth and range in his voice. Several songs sound jazzier when he performs them live, and honestly, I liked them better that way! Nothing beats seeing an artist live. There are just so many more layers to it, and the echo of the crowd screaming the lyrics back is electrifying,

Olly was definitely one of the more memorable concerts I’ve been to recently. I’d give it a full five stars – I was wowed from start to finish! Here’s hoping he’ll be playing in the US again soon. I miss him already.

xo, Angela
Twitter: angelamarieparr
Instagram: angela.parr

Passion Pit at Kings Theatre

Monday night, I had the pleasure of going to see Passion Pit perform at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. I had won the tickets courtesy of Z100, which made it even better since I probably wouldn’t have bought the tickets myself to be honest. I love Passion Pit – I’d put them in my top 25 – but the tickets were a little expensive and I’m a poor college student after all. I just came home from college, so it was nice to see my BFF Brianna again too! She goes to college in NYC and was up for an adventure in Brooklyn with me.

Holy Child was the opening act. I’d never heard of them before. They classify themselves as “brat pop” and I wasn’t a big fan of them. They had a weird 70s-esque vibe to them and I think the lead singer might have been a little drunk (she feel down at one point and then proceeded to take her shoes off). However, there were these two backup singers that were performing these little dances off to the side, so Brianna and I entertained ourselves by watching them during their set.

By the time Passion Pit hit the stage, I was ready for a show and they did not disappoint! They kicked it off with two of their most popular songs: Little Secrets and Lifted Up (1985). Those are some of my favorites, so it was a great start to the show. It was high energy the whole time and they had some amazing lights and lasers going on. Even though I didn’t know the words to some of their newer songs, I found myself jamming and dancing the whole time, save for a brief interlude when I sat down because I couldn’t feel my feet anymore. They closed their main set with Take A Walk, which is probably Passion Pit’s most well-known song. The entire audience was electric during that song! It was an amazing moment. For their encore, they performed Cuddle Fuddle live for the first time and then closed with Sleepyhead. I didn’t want the show to end. I was smiling the entire time.

Overall I would give the show 4 out of 5 stars. The opening act really set the show off to a weird tone and some of the sound got a little distorted through the speakers, but I am so glad that I had the chance to see them! It was a great way to start my summer.

xo, Angela
Twitter: @angelamarieparr
Instagram: angela.parr