A packed venue, made up mostly of women, lots of cowboy boots and a few cowboy hats were found to be awaiting Maren Morris for her sold-out show on May 9.  She came with energy to spare as she rocked out on stage. She was surely noted with her bright yellow shirt and bedazzled denim shorts as she rose from the stage.

Morris is touring her latest album, “GIRL,” which was just released on March 8. This album continues her country roots but also explores a bit more pop and rock elements within it, helping Morris break free from the solely country label. 

Morris tried to make her concert experience on par with an arena. She had a full band, a small set of risers/stairs, loads of lights and a huge screen behind her that would project different images depending on what song was playing. This was an interesting choice because she is playing smaller venues that are not made to hold all the aspects that Morris brought with her. The stage itself looked amazing but the band look cluttered and squished on the wings of the stage. 

The performances Morris hosted were spectacular in themselves. She demonstrated her vocal talents on multiple songs such as “A Song for Everything,” “80s Mercedes” and “I Could Use a Love Song.” Morris was also a bit of a storyteller every couple of songs, stopping to talk to the audience and explain the meaning behind them. One that stood out being “To Hell and Back” that she wrote multiple years ago for her now husband but saved it for herself instead of giving it to another artist. 

Morris not only demonstrated great vocal abilities, but she also showed off her musical abilities by playing guitar from time to time on a couple of her songs. This showed off Morris’ diverse talent and truly showed off her singer and songwriter persona that allowed her to truly jam out with her bandmates. 

One thing I noted was Morris was there to encourage others. She had a great group of six band members, and she made sure to highlight each one of them. It was interesting to see her only have one female band member who was on bass, even though Morris aligns with a female power angle. She did bring out her opener, Raelynn, to help her duet on the song “All My Favorite People” which is originally done with Brothers Osborn.  

Morris definitely had songs where she let loose a little bit more than normal like on “Make Out with Me” where she went as far to lay down on the risers as she sang, getting a bit saucy. “RSVP” is another song where Morris showed off her fun energy dancing around on stage even bringing out a fold-up chair as a prop to compliment her dancing. Morris did have some songs where she looked a bit more awkward on stage just pacing the stage or staying very stationary. 

Morris ended her set with “My Church,” the song that launched her into fame within the country charts. This song got stripped down to a more acoustic sound and made the audience sign louder than possible. Morris swiftly left the stage and returned for her encore ending her show with “Shade” and what was the song of the summer for 2018, “The Middle.” 

Overall, the show was a fun experience that was filled with many different lighting effects and even a bubble machine. Morris wanted to make sure her audience was enjoying themselves and made sure to know they were appreciated after almost every song. Morris is a nice ease into country for those who typically do not like country and bringing some pop/rock to the country atmosphere.

On June 8,Tan France found himself standing in front of a sold out event hosted by the Saint Louis County Library in collaboration with Left Bank Books. The event was to help promote his recently released memoir “Naturally Tan.”

For the few who do not know France, he launched to fame with the Emmy Award-winning Netflix reboot of “Queer Eye,” where he tackles the role of giving fashion advice to the weekly heroes on the show that they help. France has given more than advice to  just these heroes though, he also given advice to all of the world. He helped make the french-tuck one of the biggest style hits for any gender since the shows launch in early 2018 and helped bring back patterned bright shirts. 

France sat down and had a moderated Q&A where they talked about his memoir and unveiling more information than what was actually just on the pages of the book. One thing France kept reiterating throughout the evening was a nod to his “beautiful brown skin.” Yes, his book does talk about his time in “Queer Eye” and the fun he had with the other boys on the show, but it also covers topics that France knew he needed to shed a light on because not many gay brown men fall into the position of receiving the love and respect that he is shown. He took a good portion of the night talking about the things that are not glamorous and how he had to work his way up to build a successful business and then land a job on the show—one he originally did not even want. 

France did cover these more touchy subjects, but he did it the only way one would expect him to—in style. France was constantly engaging with the crowd, through his stories, jokes or just his actions. France had a way with the audience, everyone sitting quiet and attentively, but in a split second they would be cheering or laughing along with him. 

The book itself, “Naturally Tan” takes the reader through the life of the British man starting from his childhood to present day. He made the reader understand what it was like to grow up in his shoes and how some things, like just walking to school, could even be scary. He touched on mistakes he made, risks he took and touched on how he was able to build his company and become his own boss after explaining he held over 20 different jobs in just a five year span. France touched on relatable issues as well, like depression, love and feeling like you constantly don’t belong somewhere. The book tells the ups, the downs and everything in between. He even makes sure to sneak in some fashion advice for those who are curious. It makes the reader feel like they can relate to France, while still learning about the Netflix star. 

The event concluded with France taking questions from audience members that were written down and turned in earlier in the event. France touched on fast fashion and its impact environmentally and ethically, to educating people that it is cultural appropriation to ask someone what their spirit animal is. As the event was wrapping up, France made note of a young boy in the back and waved him forward to give him a hug and talk to him. Everyone who attended the event got to leave with a signed copy of his book, and those who bought VIP tickets also got the chance to meet France after the show and get a picture with him. 

Overall, the event was engaging and was built around France and his loving energetic character. No one left the building with a frown on their face, as France knew exactly how to make a crowd entranced by his personality alone. 

St. Louis County Library is always hosting events, not usually on this scale, but this event helped raise awareness for them and what they are doing in and for the community. You can check out more events they have here.

CHVRCHES stopped in St. Louis at The Pageant for their Love Is Dead tour on May 1st and were welcomed by a sold out crowd. The band entered to a group of flashing lights setting the tone for the rest of the evening’s show.  

CHVRCHES is a Scottish-based electronic-synth rock band that was founded in 2011 and fame in 2013 with their hit “The Mother We Share.” The band includes Lauren Mayberry, Ian Cook and Martin Doherty.

Mayberry, the lead singer, was dressed in a blue tool outfit that emulated aspects of Cinderella’s gown at the ball. The outfit was complimented with her tall chunky holographic shoes and her signature dramatic winged eyeshadow.

CHVRCHES started out with hits like “Get Out,” “Bury It” and “We Sink.” The stage was decorated with eight large square lights that had nine little lights positioned inside it. The lights would flash and change color according to the song. The stage was also adorned with two large ‘x’ shaped lights that is on the cover of their latest album “Love is Dead.”

Mayberry and her band mates would stop to have conversation, it was almost like you were watching a live podcast, the band entertaining to just listen to as they made playful banter. Topics covering from tea, excess sweating and the show “My Cat From Hell” on Animal Planet. Mayberry also made a playful jab at Marshmello, the dj, the band just recently collabed with.

The recent feud sparked news when CHVRCHES released a statement being disappointed in Marshmello’s most recent collaboration with Chris Brown and Tyga. Then Chris Brown responded to the statement angrily. His fans then beginning to attack and threaten the band.

The fact that Mayberry could make light of the situation showed her little concern for the threatening of attacks. The thing Mayberry expresses most of their concern was the fact the previous night they were in Texas where intense storms were happening which postponed them from departing on time and thus making them have a later arrival in St. Louis than planned.

The show carried on with the bands playful energy that contributed to the crowds correspondence of reciprocated energy. Fans were dancing, yelling and rocking out with the band.

Mayberry stepped off lead vocals for their song “Science/Visions” and let Doherty take control. His voice compared to Mayberry’s of course produced a different sound but the vibe was still CHVRCHES.

What makes CHVRCHES so different from any other band is not only the trope of music they produce, but also Mayberry’s voice. Her voice is higher pitched than most singers people are use to listening to and it makes their band a stand out.

Mayberry’s voice isn’t the only thing that makes her stand out, her short stature, crazy outfits and makeup all contribute but a personal favorite of mine was her dance moves. She is the epitome of the saying “dance like no one is watching.” Her carefree dancing and twirling made her enjoyable to watch because it was an opus to tell she was having the time of her life.

The band made sure to thank the audience and pointed out all the mercy they saw in the crowd. Also those who took the time to make shirts or even recreate Mayberry’s iconic looks. The band constantly showing appreciation for their loyal fan base.

The band soon reached their encore and came out immediately transitioning into their song that sparked their popularity “The Mother We Share.” The band ended with an upbeat performance of “Never Say Die” getting the crowd to sing along with them.

CHVRCHES brought beautiful music, and a lot of spunk with them to their show. I personally would say never miss a chance to see them, or else you’ll regret it.

Tori Kelly wanted to host intimate acoustic sessions for her fans before the release of her new album, where she would be able to give her dedicated fans a taste of what is to come and the Tori Kelly who they grew to love.

Kelly had an intimate space set up for just her and her guitarist, Mateus.  The stage at The Pageant was decorated for a living room experience with a couch, sitting chair, end table, rug, lamp and, of course, a mug full of tea for Kelly to sip in between songs.

The whole purpose of the tour was to showcase the different songs that Kelly had been working on since her last studio album “Hiding Place” that was released in 2018 and also won her a Grammy for best Gospel Album in 2018. She would take the time to explain a back story behind almost every song that would make the audience whisper in hushed tones so that they could hear the meaning Kelly had given to each song.

For example, one song she spoke on titled, “Pretty Fades” came about when she was talking to her husband—her boyfriend at the time—and how they were growing up and changing, mentally and physically, into different people versus when they first met. She explained how her husband meant kind intentions with the comment, “Babe, I’ll still love you even when you’re ugly,” even though it didn’t come off that way originally. It made her really think about how she had been holding onto her youth and wrote down the words “pretty fades.” She then went into a writing session with just those words in her journal and a whole new song developed from there.

Kelly did not disappoint her fans who were there based off of her past hits though doing songs such as, “Nobody Love,” “I Was Made For Loving You” and “Should’ve Been Us.” These songs off her old album that sparked her into the eye of the Grammys in 2015 when she was nominated for Best New Artist.

She knew some of her fans have been with her longer than that, though, and Tori Kelly walked her audience through the evolution to be where she is today. She started off at the age of six and explained how she sang Christina Aguilera’s song “Keep On Singin’ My Song” on a television show called “Star Search,” which lead to her eventually getting signed to a record label at age 12. She continued her story and explained how there was a mutual decision to leave the label she was signed to and that was when she knew she never wanted to rely on anyone else but herself. She taught herself guitar and started performing on Youtube. She explained more of her back story that includes trying out for “American Idol” and the success her Youtube channel brought her. This all came full circle when she was able to write and produce her first album and tour her own songs, which she then performed a mashup of her originals such as, “Confetti,” “All in My Head” and “Dear No One.”

Kelly did a great job keeping the audience entertained and doing a wide spectrum of her songs. The stripped down versions of her songs made for a special treat to all her new and old fans. Mateus brought out a fun playful side of Kelly where they both got to show off their guitar skills. The evening was filled with a more relaxed vibe, where Kelly truly got to connect to her fans. Plus, how many people can say they got to see a recent Grammy winner in such an intimate space? Not many.

While most of St. Louis was focused on cheering on the Saint Louis University’s men’s basketball team in March Madness, the packed Enterprise Center was gathered to spend the evening with Michael Bublé.

Bublé has been on break for the past five years, since following the announcement of his oldest son, Noah, being diagnosed with cancer. Bublé has returned to the limelight after the release of his new album “Love,” staring in the new Superbowl commercial for the flavored water, Bubly and most recently with his NBC special “Bublé.” During the show Bublé even mentioned his comeback was much like the St. Louis Blues comeback, tying St. Louis and Enterprise Arena into his show.

Bublé likes to come back strong, and that is exactly how he started off his show. With no opener to ease into the show, Bublé made sure to make his presence known by starting off with the song, “Feeling Good,” which made sure to grab the audience’s attention. A full band was built into the stage, even featuring a locally-grouped St. Louis strings section, carrying on with Bublé’s “go big or go home” montra for the night.

He continued with the energy going into the song that truly sent him to fame, “Just Haven’t Met You Yet.” Bublé made sure to connect with the crowd and even held his mic down to select audience members to sing the words for the whole arena to hear.

Bublé then took a minute to address the crowd, he thanked the crowd for coming out and said that he and his family have been enjoying St. Louis for the past two days. He highlighted the Galleria Mall and Mango and showed off his knowledge of St. Louis history. His fun and cheeky side began to show through the more he spoke, specifically when he talked about his first stop of the tour in Sarasota, Florida. “Have you ever seen the Walking Dead? Because that’s what Florida looked like. Instead of wanting brains they wanted brand,” he joked.

Bublé has a loveable aura around him, his cheeky personality and priority of family can make almost anyone seem to fall in love with him. He continued on to his next song, “My Funny Valentine” and then seamlessly followed into “I Only Have Eyes For You.” He began to finally take true advantage of his long catwalk and go out more into the floor, dancing and keeping the eyes on him but making sure to also give credit where it was due to his band and back-up singers.

Bublé again took time to address the crowd to tell them more about himself, which he thought was necessary after a flight attendant asked if he won American Idol or if he was only a finalist on it. He spoke mainly about his grandfather, who passed away in December 2018, and how his influence made him the singer and man he is today. He dedicated the next song to his grandfather and went into a beautiful rendition of “(Up a) Lazy River” by Bobby Darin, Bublé’s idol.

After another song Bublé joked that the concert was over before he took a seat to catch his breath and get closer to the audience. His sons actually ran up to him in between the barriers and he made sure to say hi to them. Bublé then spoke about how great singing in the shower was and the fantasies that came with it, which came with a few more jokes. He wanted to give someone a chance to live their shower fantasy of imagining they were on “The Voice” or “American Idol.” He went to one girl who raised her hand and handed his mic over to her after she introduced herself as Rosina Marie. She took on the endeavor and sang “Because You Love Me” by Celine Dion to the whole arena. Michael continued to share the stage letting his trumpet player sing, “You Aren’t Nobody Until Somebody Loves You.” Michael took a back seat and joined the back-up singers, swaying and snapping along with them.

Bublé continued his show by performing songs off his latest album including, “When I Fall in Love” and “Love Me Anymore.” He then went into a story after performing “Love Me Anymore” where he explained how he never wants to see his own promotion. So because of this, he got his wife to approve his music video. After watching the music video she questioned Bublé about who the girl was on the beach with him and what were they talking about. “I was scared for the actress,” Bublé explained.

Bublé took time to get sentimental and referenced his family again. He spoke about how “Forever Now” and how his kids call it “their song.” He explained how much the song meant to him and his family before he began to perform it with tears in his eyes. Then went into his classic, “Home,” dedicating it to service men and women and his family, which for him includes everyone in the arena.

There was a quick turn around and the tempo went to upbeat and lights lowered from the ceiling as Bublé tried to turn the arena into a club. He danced around with a small section of his backing band down at the end of the catwalk. He finished off his set with the soulful “Cry Me a River.” Bublé swiftly exited the stage and a recap of the Bubles’ day in pictures was displayed with the words “Thank You, St. Louis.”

Bublé re-appeared moments later and finished off his set with his bubbly, “Everything” and “Always on Mind.” Buble made sure to tell the crowd how grateful he was and because of them he was able to take that time away to be with his family and return to this. “I don’t look at you like strangers. Everytime I come, I’ll be grateful,” he said. “Thank you and God bless.”

Bublé brings a fun and bouncy attitude that can make anyone smile. His cheeky jokes and charming voice made the perfect combination for ideal entertainment.

In 2001, the world was graced with Reese Witherspoon playing the typical, but surprising blonde, Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.” Once the movie skyrocketed to popularity, it was only soon after it would be turned into a Broadway hit.

The Stifel Theatre hosted “Legally Blonde the Musical” for a one night event on Feb. 4. The crowd filled with young girls and their mothers, all dressed in their pink and ready to teach the younger girls that you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

If you are not familiar with the story, it follows a girl named Elle Woods, the typical blonde, sorority, Malibu girl who is expecting her boyfriend, Warner, to propose. A twist in her master plan happens as her boyfriend breaks up with her instead and Elle ends up following him to Harvard law school to win him back. Along the way Elle slowly learns that following a boy for love is not what she needs to be doing. Instead, she needs to work on actually applying herself to her school work to prove to her now ex-boyfriend that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. She has help along the way from the local beautician, her TA, her sorority sisters and, of course, her trusty dog, Brouster.

The musical itself followed closely to the motion picture, but of course with much more singing and dancing. Some major differences, however, include Elle going all the way to Harvard to give her personal statement in a huge dance scene, Paulette dreaming of marrying a guy from Ireland and Brooke’s workout empire being built upon jump rope that is shown as a murder weapon in the video.

The story and songs were light hearted and silly for the most part, with a couple serious solos mixed into the arrangement. The goofy humor and fun attitudes made this almost cheesy musical enjoyable. It was overall a family-friendly event, except for a few mentions of sex that I saw some mothers and the few fathers there physically shutter at for a slight moment, wishing their younger daughters did not hear the words that were stated by the actors.

Maris McCulley who played Elle Woods put on an amazing animated show, her resemblance to Reese Witherspoon also being a bit uncanny, making the viewer feel like they  were watching the movie. Her voice was on par and she perfectly expressed the difficulties of Elle Wood’s character dynamic. Her dancing would sometimes fall a bit short compared to the ensemble, but her performance made the audience feel for her character.

Woody Minshew, who took on the role of Emmet Forest, the TA who helps Elle and slowly falls in love with her, also did a fantastic job. His acting really made the audience feel empathy for his character and continually root for him throughout the musical. His voice really shown through on the song, “Legally Blonde,” where he sings about missing his chance to be with Elle Woods, the person he believes to be the best girl out there.

The last person I wanted to highlight is Jill Taylor Anthony who played Paulette Bonafonte, the beautician that Elle Woods befriends. Anthony made the show in my opinion. Her dynamic character and the ability to get the whole audience to laugh with one gesture made her a crowd favorite. Also, her accent of a true Bostonian made the midwesterners in the audience intrigued, due to how harsh it sounded on the ears. She is not only a good actor, but a good dancer and singer as well, captivating the audience anytime she was on stage.

The musical took some of the best moments from the movie, like the famous bend and snap and animated them to new levels. I believe this show was a fun experience that also brought serious issues to the limelight and handled these complicated issues with grace. I think it showed the young girls in the audience major character development and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra got everyone into the Christmas spirit before the holidays by performing a live score to the movie “Home Alone” the weekend of Dec. 14. The show appeared to be a hit, as Powell Hall filled with guests of all ages. There were grandparents taking their grandchildren, couples on dates and everything in between. It was a family friendly event that introduced the movie and the symphony to younger guests, and helped older guests reminisce about their younger days, watching the film that was released in 1990.

The movie was projected on a large screen in the center of the stage, the symphony left in the dark with only with their clipboard lights visible to remind the viewer they were there. One thing that surprised me while watching the movie was the fact that they did not have subtitles to accompany the film. I thought maybe with the music playing it would have been beneficial to everyone, especially those hard of hearing to possibly be able to read the lines of what was happening. It also could have named the song as it was played because the Playbill did not mention the titles of the songs in the film. Of course, it mentioned it in the credits but it would have been interesting to hear it and know the name of the song at the same time. All the viewer really knew walking in from the Playbill was that it was a score produced by John Williams, who’s famous for creating legendary scores such as “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Jurassic Park” and many more.

Overall, the show was amazing and the perfect word to describe it was smooth. The transitions and songs aligned perfectly to the film and half of the time you forgot the symphony was even below the screen of the movie itself. Not only was the symphony elegantly smooth, but I was surprised to see a live choir hidden behind the orchestra, which contributed nicely to the live music that was accompanying the film. The two worked as a team to completely entrance you into the movie that was playing before you. I almost felt rude at times because I forgot I was at the symphony and not at a movie theatre. That should be taken as a compliment, though, because the music and choir perfectly complemented and flowed with the show.

The big encore, which most people forget and don’t usually ever sit through, was the credits. As movie goers, we often get up and leave during the credits, unless someone has mentioned a bonus clip at the end of the credits or you’re looking for someone’s name in particular. But, for the symphony the credits were the finale itself. Some people instinctively got up to leave but sat back down immediately to finish the show. The end of the show was met with a standing ovation and a very pleased crowd leaving with tired kids and adults smiling fondly from their memories of when they first watched the film.

The symphony continues to offer live score movies. Most recently they did “The Nightmare Before Christmas” around Halloween. Upcoming shows include “Star Wars: A New Hope,” playing Jan. 24-27, and “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” in mid April. I highly recommend attending at least one of these movie shows in your lifetime, because you will be blown away by what you experience. It will not be a traditional show, which is often what scares people away from the symphony. It is something that can get anyone from any age or background interested and get their foot in the door to start appreciating a St. Louis treasure.

Powell Hall kicked off their Christmas celebrations Sunday evening with a 90-minute set from Leslie Odom Jr., who is most famously known for his role in the smash hit “Hamilton,” as the original Aaron Burr. He was backed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kevin McBeth.

From the moment you enter Powell Hall, you are normally greeted with stunning architecture, but now it is fully decked out in Christmas decorations. The Hall is a place I recommend you take a night to spend in during the season. It fully brings you into the season and it was one of the best ways I could imagine kick-starting my holiday.

The SLSO started off the show by performing three Christmas classics beautifully, making sure you recognize that you are in the presence of a full orchestra. McBeth took a couple minutes to address the crowd after that, thanking them for joining them tonight and teasing at the fact he may be the only person in the world who has not seem “Hamilton” yet. He made a quick remark before Odom took the stage, saying the singer had laryngitis only two days before the show that day and could not even speak a word, let alone sing. After that he soon welcomed Odom to the stage.

Odom graced the stage with his laidback and jolly personality. He immediately went into it and right off the bat began to perform songs from his Christmas album, “Simply Christmas.” He took a second to pause after the first couple of songs and took in the audience. He began to poke a bit of fun at the audience and their love for “Hamilton.” “I’m only going to do one Hamilton song,” Odom told the audience before he went into a rendition of “Wait For It.” Odom gave praise to the show, knowing he would not be where he is today without it.

He also promoted the new and upcoming projects of his fellow cast members. A topic that he took time to discuss was the fact that people often ask him what he wanted to do after “Hamilton,” and he said he wanted to make the music that Nat King Cole would make today. Those are the exact words that got Odom his current record deal with S-Curve Records, who produced his albums “Leslie Odom, Jr.” and “Simply Christmas.” Odom even said, “What that sounds like? Honestly I don’t know.” To honor Cole he went into a beautiful melody of songs, my personal favorite being “Unforgettable.”

He made sure to make a couple of jokes throughout the show as well, showing that Odom can be playful and also more relatable. He had someone come between songs and cut tinsel off his mic stand. He also embraced  his cold and paused a song so he could take a second to cough. The crowd cheered him on as he did so.

One thing the night was also not short of was Christmas music, Odom performed favorites such as “My Favorite Things,” “First Noel,” “The Christmas Waltz” and many more. He also took a minute to recognize a lot can change in a year and that we may have lost some people that were here with us last year who are no longer with us. He took the time to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” The pure emotion in the room was felt by all as Powell Hall sat silently.

Odom recovered and lifted people’s spirits by going into the song “Dear Theodosia” from “Hamilton.” He stated he knew the audience deserved to hear another song from the musical and he was happy to oblige. He then thanked the symphony and briskly walked off stage as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Odom returned to the stage almost two minutes later and finished the night off with a soulful and elegant version of “Ave Maria.”

The singer sang elegantly throughout the night, his voice full of soul but also full of his classical training that matched the work of the symphony behind him. Odom continually praised his small band along with the symphony. The Broadway actor was surely the star of the show, but his humble self wanted to honor the musicians behind him. Even though he probably would not have called that night his best performance, the people of St. Louis fell head over heels in love with him again.

The Point continued their string of HoHo Shows at The Pageant with the duo of lovelytheband and Bastille Thursday, Nov. 29. The combination of the two bands was something that I would never have put together first, but the two performances ended up being a perfect pair.

The sold-out show was packed with fans of all ages, showing the diversity of the audience. The general admission floor was even blocked off from allowing more people to enter the pit. The sides of The Pageant were swarming with people, and everyone in the stands had to get cozy with whoever they were sitting next to for the next 4 hours.

Lovelytheband first waltzed out on stage with a casualness, that even made them appear cooler somehow. The LA-based indie-pop band quickly rose to fame this summer with their single “Broken” being played across all major radio stations.

Mitchy Collins, the lead singer came out and chorused the rest of the band into two songs, before he took a second to pause and introduce their group. He also explained their excitement to be back in St. Louis again. Collins shared his disappointment with the crowd, stating the fact that he slept through the trip to Sugarfire with the rest of the band. The band then slowly wandered into their next song, “Coachella.”

As the show continued, lovelytheband seemed to have this relaxed energy about them, almost like the boy who would show up for your first date with no plan, but still give you the best first date of your life, even if they do come off a little narcissistic. Collins even explained at one point that they treat gigs like a “first date,” wanting to impress the people who have never seen or heard of them before. Collins then explained his love for karaoke on dates and the band went into a cover of the song, “Pony.” Their set slowly came to an end but Collins explained their excitement to stay and watch Bastille perform, thus getting the crowd even more hyped to see the main act.

Soon, the moment came and the band members slowly trickled on stage one by one; Dan Smith, the lead singer being the last to jog up on stage. Smith had a whole new level of energy that moshed with the pit—the man jumping and running from each side of the stage to show every inch of the crowded venue love.

After a couple songs Smith explained their mutual excitement to be back in St. Louis and how they love the opportunity to play smaller venues like this. He also talked about their visit to the City Museum and Smith explained the tragic story of how he got stuck in one of the many tubes there, that clearly was meant for small kids, but he took as a challenge.

Smith also showed off his many skills as a Renaissance man, including range of playing the piano, acting and playing the drums. Smith also clearly knew how to keep a crowd entertained from randomly appearing in the balcony and swinging his legs over the edge as he sang down to the crowd below and around him. He also jumped from table to table on the main ground and walked in the middle of the mosh pit, everyone loving the excitement of what would Smith do next.

The band played many of their hits, most of their songs being played to high-tempo beats and having beautiful melodies, but the songs often contained depressing subject matter—Smith even admitted to this with their in-disguise love song “Flaws.” He addressed the crowd, saying that they were working on new songs and their most recent song wasn’t a sound that was fully theirs and they needed to find the other person to complete it. That person being DJ Marshmello. They collaborated with him on their latest single. “Happier” which has that classic Bastille sound with a bit of a dj remix on top of it.

The band ended their show with a high energy songs such as their famous cover of the song, “No Scrubs” and their song that skyrocketed them to notability “Pompeii.”

This was an amazing concert, one that kept the audience excited throughout the whole show from the opener’s first song to the main act’s last. The Point did a great job securing and putting together an intimate and arousing show, that was definitely worth what you paid for and more.

Austin City Limits has made its way onto the list of one of the world’s most well-known music festivals. Since its founding in 2002, the three-day music festival is in the heart of Zilker Park in downtown Austin—the live music capital of the world.

The headliners this year included Odesza, Paul McCartney, Metallica, Arctic Monkeys and Travis Scott. Childish Gambino was supposed to headline the final spot on Sunday to end the festival, but because of a broken foot the rapper was forced to cancel both headlining weekends for ACL. They did a great job the second weekend trying to cover his spot, brining Lil’ Wayne to help fill in the gaps.

The music vibe was all over the place from classic rock, rap, indie and electronic. The only music that wasn’t covered for the most part was country, which was surprising since the festival is based in Texas. Overall, there was a great selection from day-to-day. There was not just one day that was classic rock-focused, or one day that was just rap. Everyday there was a great mix of different musical talents,  making the three-day plan worth while versus just choosing one day to attend.

Zilker Park was decked out with interactive art displays, plenty of Austin local foods and many green initiatives. The iconic flag pole area was swamped with people getting their famous ACL picture. The background of downtown Austin seen from the park was like a dream. The festival was  offering all of what Austin truly had to offer, showing Austin’s other famous tagline alive, “Keep Austin Weird.”

The weekend’s must-sees was Hozier, who was singing songs off of his brand new EP “Nina Cried Power.” The Irish singer  put on a long-awaited soulful performance. Shawn Mendes was also a site to see, asone of the younger performers this weekend, but he didn’t let that get in the way of him putting on a fantastic show. The artist I was most surprised to see was Brockhampton. I knew they were decent, but live they made sure to energize the crowd and keep them begging for more. My personal favorite by a long shot was Sir Paul McCartney. His years of performing made his show more than just another musical headliner, it made it an experience. He knew how to keep the audience on their toes playing classic songs from the Beatles, the original Quarrymen, old Paul Mccartney and brand new Paul McCartney songs. He added little quips about his band mates and the creative process behind the songs, as well as having fireworks, an intricate stage setup and pyrotechnics.

Austin City Limits can be a bit intimidating with the numerous bands you want to see, thousands of people packed into a park in the Texas heat and crazy eccentric concert-goers who will push to be in the front. n top of all that, getting to the entrance of the festival is a bit of a trek in itself. The bad definitely does not outweigh the good, though. The environment that the workers, volunteers and normal concert-goers give off are welcoming chill vibes that make you feel happy to be hanging out with some good friends and enjoying the music around you.

This is the festival you want to attend—the size, the city, the artists and the essence of the festival is what makes ACL so popular. Local Texans or people from different countries were traveling to enjoy what was offered. Not being a local, I found this festival to be even more worth it because I got to not only enjoy the concert but enjoy the city of Austin itself and see why so many people take pride in it.