I recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend a local show where Austin Glass and Jack Romero performed for a packed house and very excited crowd. The show was to celebrate Jack's EP release and was held at EMPIRE, a local restaurant that specializes in burgers and brewery in Naperville, IL. The venue offers performers of all ages and ranges as a source of live entertainment.
Austin Glass is a 16 year old from the city of Naperville and as he says "a heart for the city." Austin describes his history with performing as "off and on again". He has been playing guitar for seven years, and only a year ago did he start writing his own music. When I asked Austin how he would describe his music to to others his response was, "Acoustic/coffee house covers." I am interested to see how this description changes as his music progresses and he moves from covers to originals. He plans on releasing his first single before 2017 is over and releasing a full EP sometime in 2018. He is currently working with Sound Summit, a multi-purpose music studio also located in Naperville. On Saturday, Austin opened for Jack Romero and gave attendees a warm welcome to the show. With his soothing voice, Austin turned covers of what appeared to be some of the crowds favorite songs, into beautiful creations of his own. My personal favorite was "Robbers" by The 1975. Austin captured the depth and emotion of this song while still maintaining the flow of happy and playful vibes. This is very difficult to do with songs that bring out a lot of emotions in listeners. Austin not only sung throughout his performance but also played the guitar and Ukulele. His wide range of performance skills will no doubt put his ahead in his journey in the music industry. Jack Romero is a 15 year old also from Naperville, IL. He also is currently working with Sound Summit and his producer Devin Rodarte. Jack's performance history began about four years ago, as he told me that's when he really began being interested in the music industry. He has been working with his producer for about two years now. In his young age and short time with a producer, it is amazing that Jack has already released an EP of his own, and plans to release more material very soon. He says a single will likely be out in the coming months, and hopefully a full album within a few years. He says his music so far can be described as "Vibey, True, Groovy, Chill, Authentic." All of those adjectives happen to be some of my favorite words. Another favorite me and Jack shared was our favorite song on his EP, "There Is My Baby." It was quite a delight to hear this song, as well as the rest of the songs on the album on Saturday. With a strong team behind him, including Alex Arce and Devin Rodarte on guitar, Jeannine Garland on bass, and Charlie Dresser on drums. Together they created a fun, energetic, and passionate performance. From Jeannine's bright smile, to Alex and Jack's sick moves, it was quite clear that this performance was as fun for them as it was for the audience. I find that to be one of the most important qualities of a show. Seeing performers ave fun, causes the audience to want to have fun with them. Jack's playful attitude only added to to the audience's energy, whether it was screaming girls, or supportive parents. One quality that helped me drastically and was wonderful in Jack's performance was his stage coverage. He never stood in one spot for too long and truly covered all angles and spaces the stage had to offer. I look forward to seeing Austin and Jack's advancements and successes in the music industry. They will no doubt have many of them, and I am glad I will be able to witness it. They will be on my radar and I will be on the lookout for more of their performances. It is not often you find such young individuals with such drive and passion as both Austin and Jack possess. All photos of the event can be found HERE!
0 Comments
North Coast was truly the best way to kick off my new life in Chicago. What made the experience even better was having my friends Krista and Ally come visit me for the weekend. It made my heart so happy that they would travel hours to come see me and come to a festival with me. Krista was wild as always and never let the day get boring. Everything is always such a crazy time with her and she always knows how to make me laugh till my stomach hurts. Ally (or Graul as I often refer to her as) had such a peaceful smile on her face the entire weekend and I'd often find myself looking at that smile and just being so happy she was there. Krista and Ally both looked amazing throughout the weekend and hearing them plan their outfits was just as exciting for them as it was for me. I love when people dress freely at festivals. They pick out super cool outfits that are also comfortable and it's just another fun aspect of music and art festivals.
One thing I really loved about North Coast were the chill vibes that echoed throughout the festivals. Of course there were people going wild, and dancing in wacky ways, but there were also so many people hanging out, drinking a beer, and listening to the music. However you wanted to experience the festival, you could. Traveling less than 30 minutes (in city traffic) from my dorm was such a nice convenience to have. I was able to meet up with friends including Hallie from back home in Detroit, and Alexa of whom I met at Lollapalooza. I seem to find them at the perfect, unexpected times and we were able to jam out together. Hallie shared her new love for festivals and I couldn't be more happy for her. The art at North Coast was what I like to call simple but extraordinary. Their use of paint, string, and furniture made me look at how I could use refurbished or "random" materials to create beautiful and interesting works of art. The venders at North Coast were also super cool. I found myself exploring these tents and looking at all the things they were selling. From scarfs, to tapestries, to bongos, to crystals, I found something that caught my attention at every single stand. The silent disco was something new to me and after North Coast I will make a much harder effort to hit them up at other festivals. Switching between the two channels/performers was a lot of fun and could have occupied me for hours. A few of my favorite moments during the performers were Post Malone, Vallis Alps, Hippie Sabotage, and Tipper. Post Malone never failed to get the crowd hype, even during the downpour of rain, and the Chicago winds that came out of nowhere. Vallis Alps had beautiful visuals, peaceful (but dancy) vibes, and such a humble stage presence. With the sun setting in the background, their set made an AMAZING transition into the final night on Sunday. Oh I was also VERY close to the stage and that was super awesome. Hippie Sabotage was a true party and I honestly cannot wait to see those wacky hippie guys again. They made me laugh with every crowd interaction from crowd surfing to bringing a girl onstage and giving her a intimate dance. Tipper was an experience unlike anything I had ever seen before. The use of lasers during this performance amazed me and had my jaw dropped for the entirety of the set. They took over the sky and trees with lines of color and it truly felt like another world. I definitely recommend checking out Tipper at a fest, even if you're a little unsure of his music like I was. His stage production will not disappoint but truly amaze you. Overall North Coast was yet another amazing festival and definitely an amazing way to end summer and begin my life in Chicago. I remember one moment specifically , as I was looking to the skyline and thought "Wow, I'm not GOING live here anymore, I DO live here." Chicago has so much to offer, and North Coast was the only the beginning. 8/10 on the Evan Scale. A few days before I moved to Chicago I got to attend to attend Earth, Wind, and Fire with Jenna and Evan. Meadow Brook Music Amphitheater is one of my favorite concert venues and was the best place this concert could have been held. This groovy concert was the BEST way I could spend one of my final nights before I moved to Chicago. We got down to some old fashioned funk and I loved every single moment of it. It was a night of groovin' to our favorite oldies.
The visuals were something out of a movie for this show. I was blown away with the HUGE screens and the images they displayed. Some of my favorite are in the photos above! The passion each of the members of the band showed in their music and for their fans was amazing. They were appreciative, interactive, and made the crowd part of the performance. One special thing to me about this concert was in my fall choir concert my freshman year, our show choir performed "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. It was so cool to hear this song live, and do my old show choir dance and sing out the words I once sung at Lake Shore year ago. That's one amazing thing about music. It brings back memories and emotions from times weeks, months, or years earlier. I was listening to this song and I couldn't help but smile thinking back on show choir and all the amazing people I met because of it. Me, Jenna, and Evan were the youngest people at the concert and it was so fun dancing with an older group of people. They were laughing and jamming with us and a few people shared how it made them smile seeing young people jam out to some funk. I have to say though, we for sure had the better moves. 10/10 on the Evan scale. My excitement for Lollapalooza was one of the most strongest excitements I have ever felt. In the days before the festival, I could feel my feet twitching, aching to get some movement in them, and my head kept playing the songs we would hear over and over again. I could not wait to be at a music festival in the city that I was moving to shortly after. Chicago awaited with so many adventures and possibilites, and Lolla was the beginning of them all.
Our group for Lolla began as four of us , then reduced to three when Jenna wasn't able to attend anymore. In a twist of events, Jenna was able to attend, and many other friends as well. Overall our group went from three to nine. I couldn't be more happy that I was able to stay with these lovely people, and share our Lolla experience together. All nine of us, sleeping on the floor, cooking ramen noodles and using oranges for things they probably shouldn't be used for. It was a hilarious time, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The performers at Lolla brought everything I could have asked for to the stage. Passion, special effects, and surprise guests made me stay on my toes. I never knew what to expect. My favorite surprise guest moments had to include Charlie XCX bringing out Halsey and Cupcakke (and making the entire crowd moan in unison), and Whethan bringing out Slushii and Louis the Child at a hidden stage inside the Toyota Music Den. The last guest truly made my heart burst of happiness. Perry Janes, member of Jane's Addiction, and CREATOR OF LOLLAPALOOZA came out on stage and sang a song during Zeds Dead on the closing night of the festival. As I want to create my own Music and Arts Festival, seeing another creator smile so proudly center stage made me a litle emotional. It inspired me and still inspires me today. I want to look out one day, and see everyone I love's smiling faces at Floof. I want to see them dancing their hearts out and crying many tears of joy. Perry Janes is an amazing individual and I could not thank him enough for creating such an amazing event such as Lollapalooza. One surprise which wasn't as much of a surprise was the rain that occurred on Thursday night. The festival was evacuated a half hour before technical closing time. Although this was during the headliners performances, specifically Porter Robinson (who I had longed to see forever) the setting of pouring rain, and the majority of Porter's set made me not have one slight of negativity towards the rain. One moment I will NEVER forget is when the beat was building and the rain matched that build. Harder and faster the beat grew and so did the rain. When the beat dropped, and the bass came in, the pouring rain did too. I still remember the faces of everyone around me. We could not believe what actually just happened. A true movie moment. The people I met at Lolla were amazing, but the two that stuck out the most were two girls by the names of Josie and Alexa. They were the sweetest and craziest girls I had ever met. Dancing with them in the funkiest of ways, and hearing them scream every word to every rap of Wiz Khalifa never failed to make me burst of laughter. I can't wait to see how my friendship with them will grow, and for the fests and shows I know we will attend together. One person we met is actually now one of our favorite performers. Wingtip was so genuine and kind, and also gave us quite a show. I HIGHLY recommend checking him out. He also gave away $5 Taco Bell giftcards so like how much more awesome can you get? There were so many times I found myself looking to the skyline and thinking, "Wow. I'm moving here." Lollapalooza made me feel at home in Chicago and truly started my life here with a bang. I find myself often going back to Grant Park and listening to the artists I seen there. That feeling is one that makes your smile grow big, and your heart race fast. I get to visit and sit on the same stage I watched my favorite artists perform on. That is the magic of Lollapalooza and the magic I get to live everyday here in Chicago. 9/10 on the Evan scale. Wow. That's one of the many words I could use to describe my experience at Electric Forest. Amazing, spectacular, Insane, are only a few of the other ones. I had always dreamed of going to Electric Forest and getting lost in the magic that it appeared to possess. At first I thought it was an 18 and up event, and when I learned it wasn't, I made plans to attend the following year. That year was 2017, and it just so happened, my favorite artists including Odesza, Jai Wolf, Big Wild, The Floozies, Tycho, and many more happen to be on the lineup. I began to prepare for my first Music Festival. In the coming months before the festival, I decided to take a listen into the huge amount of performers that would be at the first weekend. In those months, I truly fell in love with electronic music, and the emotions behind each and every song.
When we arrived at the fest, I immediately knew I was in for an amazing weekend. From the smiling faces to the trippy gear sticking out of the cars, I knew I was going to meet so many amazing people, and people who had passions much like my own. Boy, was I right. Throughout the weekend, I met people of all different backgrounds, from places all over the world. The ones that stuck out to me were our neighbors and a boy named Sam. Our neighbors because throughout the weekend, their friendliness and kindness radiated throughout our campsite and made returning from the fest, just as exciting as going to it. When either of us needed something we had forgotten, someone at either site would reach out and save the day. The other forest family member that will stay with me forever is Sam. One night, when we were expecting a storm and heading back to our campsite to prepare, we stumbled upon him. He was working the festival with the work exchange team and shared how his tent probably would not make it through the rain. We offered him to stay under our canopy at out site, and he gladly said yes. Throughout the rest of the weekend, he remained at our site. He shared stories of his backpacking adventures and played guitar and sung to us till the wee hours of the morning. After the fest, we exchanged addresses as he did not own a phone, and he went on his way backpacking and hitchhiking to the "Big Ole Wild West" as he called it. We hear from his now and again, but he still remains as mysterious as can be, and we love every part of it. There were many parts of Forest that seeked to engrave in my mind, that life IS like the movies. From walking back to camp with Jenna, with bandannas on our faces, blaring Robbers and singing our hearts out, to laying in a hammock with Evan (Harvey) falling deeper into love under the colored pines, and beautiful music. I couldn't be more thankful to Dillon, who shared his second year of Forest with us. He taught us the way of the Forest and used his experience to make sure ours was exhilarating. The art installations caused me to question if I was living in a fairy tale or reality and the stage designs had my jaw low and my eyes wide. The amount of work and creativeness that goes into each and every piece of the forest is memorizing. I appreciate that dedication more than words can describe. I would pick a favorite if I honestly could. I will definitely be returning to the Forest again, for many years that follow. It is a place of wonder, a place of exploration, a place of kindness, and a place of mystery. Through the pouring rain, and severe thunderstorms we danced all night. I am so honored to say that my first music festival was Electric Forest, and I can't wait to see this festival become even more magical. 11/10 on the Evan scale I'd say. |
AuthorEvan Hazlett Archives
September 2017
Categories |