We headed to the Taste of Syracuse (a local outdoor festival featuring local restaurants) to see Blues Traveler...because who wouldn't like food, drinks, and a FREE Blues Traveler concert? So after parking, walking forever, attempting to meet up with the entire group of friends we were meeting, and being starving cause we hadn't waited in any of the long lines for food yet, we couldn't even really get in the vicinity of the stage. We stayed to hear one song - which one? I can't even remember - and then walked away to find food and never turned back. I did see them on stage for about half a second and we heard that one song...so I'm still counting it, but it doesn't really make for a great concert experience story. So instead, we're going to skip ahead to a couple of weeks and talk about a piece of 2000's-tastic awesome-ness that seriously made my June.
Now...I loved Avril Lavigne back in the day. Don't get me wrong. I bought her album, Let Go, and rocked out to it in my car on my way to high school. Heck, I'd even been through Napanee with my family on vacation and I'm pretty sure I'd seen her at the small local store there. Things really were *complicated* when you're a high school girl, and I wanted so badly to shove it in the face of the skanky girl who wanted the sk8tr boi. But I never, in a million years, figured I'd be 29 years old singing along at the top of my lungs to Avril. But here I am getting ahead of myself. The show started even before she took the stage...
...a few minutes before start time, Brian Littrell came out on stage with his son (speaking of feeling old....) and asked the group if we'd mind a little mini-concert before the show started. He was adorable...and quite good!! Check it out!
After he sang a couple of songs he headed back off stage, and then we were just waiting for the show to start.
First off, Avril is tiny. I mean TINY. She looked like I could put her in my pocket...but energetic and sounded great. She sang all the songs you'd want to hear if you were there to see Avril Lavigne. She worked the crowd well and really brought in the nostalgia. I had much more fun than I expected as I really wasn't one to "care" so much about seeing her...after all, I was actually there for the Backstreet Boys.
A little Complicated for you:
After Avril's set, it was time for what we were all there for...Backstreet Boys!! Now, this isn't my first rodeo, but we brought a friend who'd been wanting to get to a show for quite some time. She'd given up the opportunity a couple of times, but finally decided that this was it.
Let me tell you - if you're looking to be entertained, this show definitely does it. There is never a down moment, which, incidentally, is also really impressive. They dance, they sing, they wear coordinated outfits.
And even when they slowed things down, it was fantastic. (I apologize - I didn't realize the camera didn't auto-focus on this one...)
I love seeing them playing instruments and changing the perception of what they do. So many laugh about my love of boy bands...but really, they are seriously fantastic musicians. Period.
Our friend looked at me after the show and said "I'm so glad I finally came to a show with you guys....that was amazing!" And that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what I wanted to hear! Such a fantastic night!!
Next up: Home Free at UGa!!!
