Concerts

Tips for Surviving CMAfest

Just the other week, I went into total country music fangirl mode. It started two weeks ago with my arrival in Nashville and attendance at the CMT Music Awards, and then ran all the way through until Sunday evening’s Nissan Stadium show for CMAfest. As someone who has now experienced this amazing festival, I felt it might be nice to share some things that I wish I knew going into the event. Read on for my tips for surviving CMAfest!

Nashville is an absolutely amazing city. I personally would move there if I could (as you might already know if you follow our blog much… I’ve written about it on more than one occasion – My Fangirl Story: Nashville and On Dreams: Mine Are Just So Nashville to name a couple). Each time I have visited my favourite city, it has been buzzing with activity, but in more of a laid-back fashion. On this trip that was not the case! Nashville was overflowing with people there to have a good time and listen to country music.

It was an extremely hot, sunny, humid few days in Nashville over CMAfest this year. This was great festival weather but made it difficult to be outside for the whole day. I had to take regular breaks and even give up some of the shows I would’ve liked to see. My initial planned schedule ended up being a little too ambitious and impractical, but my CMAfest experience was still pretty perfect. In my first experience at the festival, I collected some little tidbits of advice that you just might find helpful if you’re planning on heading there in the future. Read on!

Bring Sunscreen

Ok, so packing sunscreen for a summer festival is a pretty obvious one, but I couldn’t leave it off, could I? Also wear a hat. And maybe bring an umbrella or rain poncho in case the weather goes the other way.

Pack A Water Bottle

You might not be able to bring a full water bottle into all of the venues, but there were tons of refilling stations and water fountains available. And this year, it was all much needed! Drinking beer is a great thing to do while soaking up the sun, but don’t forget to mix in some water along the way.

Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard

I ended up learning this one the hard way. I had a pretty ambitious schedule I wanted to follow… and I did, for the first couple days. My 9 AM to 3 AM all-day, outdoor, concert-watching schedule ended up being a little too much. It resulted in me literally not being able to speak on one of the concert days. This was super awkward because I was travelling alone and really couldn’t avoid ordering food and drinks. Oh well…

You Can’t See Everyone

I spent the first couple days trekking from one end of the grounds to the other to catch all of my favourite acts. This ended up being pretty intense, especially in the heat, and in the last couple days I ended up just having to choose which shows I wanted to see most of all.

Sometimes the Smaller Shows are More Fun

I enjoyed attending the Nissan Stadium shows each evening and seeing some of the biggest stars in country music, but I honestly had more fun at the smaller free shows. I was usually able to get up nice and close, while the stadium shows had me in the very top, very back of the football stadium. I’m definitely glad I did it all this time, but if I were to return to this event again, I may try to get tickets to just one of the stadium shows based on the line-up.

You Don’t Need A Meet and Greet Ticket

CMAfest runs raffles ahead of time for certain popular experiences, some of them being celebrity meet and greets. I was sad when I checked my account on draw day and realized that I hadn’t won a thing. But this didn’t stop me! I got in line to meet Chris Carmack when I was in need of spending some time in the air-conditioned convention centre. He was just about to come out and get started when I started waiting. Ahead of me was a ticketed line (those that had actually won the draw), and a hopeful line. So basically I was in the hopeless line, as we liked to refer to ourselves. They closed the line right behind me and didn’t even give anyone else the chance to wait. After standing for an hour and a half, we were told that we weren’t going to make it to the front. A few other girls and I dejectedly just took a picture or two and debated leaving, but instead ended up looping around to the outside of the meet and greet area, and Chris took the extra time to chat and take selfies with each of us at the end. What a dreamboat! ?

So basically, be prepared for disappointment when it comes to meet and greets, but don’t give up. And line up earlier than I did if you’re doing the hopeful line!

If you’re heading to CMAfest, be ready to experience a country fangirl’s (or fanboy’s) dream. It’s a lot of fun and some of the biggest acts in music are so accessible! I hope my tips for surviving CMAfest will help you have a killer time.

Cheers,

June 22, 2016 0 comment

Concerts Events Music Reviews

Jason Aldean Concert Review

written by Kristin Glass

I am definitely a country music fangirl, but I ended up at Jason Aldean in Edmonton almost by accident. Don’t get me wrong, the guy is great and I love his music, but after our whole “Summer of Concerts” this year – not to mention quitting my job to start a business – I didn’t exactly have the spare change to buy tickets to more live music events.

But as it turns out, the universe is totally down with me going to concerts. If you don’t care about how I ended up there and want to just read about the concert, feel free to scroll down a few paragraphs and keep reading. Because right now I am going to regale you with the tale of just how I was able to attend.

Last weekend Kris and I were out at Cook County Saloon, a fun country bar only a few blocks from where we live. Now, we don’t go “out” often (and we didn’t even particularly want to go “out” on this evening), but we rallied ourselves and made an attempt. It was a friend’s birthday, after all. I have to say, when we go dancing, we tend to go so hard that we don’t even leave the dance floor. This is exactly what was happening last Saturday night, when the announcer let us know that it was contest time!

It was a two-stepping contest, which Kris and I both love to do, but the twist was that the girl had to do the leading. We looked around for the group we had come with, hoping to find some boys that would be into joining the contest, but to no avail. It wasn’t long before we decided to just dance with each other. I knew that Kris would have a great shot at winning because she is really great at two-stepping and total knows how to lead when needed. That being said, we both assumed that they would pick an actual couple to win, so we were pretty much doing it for fun.

Throughout the song, we looked around and realized that the announcer was nowhere near us. We just kept going and were laughing when the song ended. At that moment, over the loudspeaker came:

“And the winners are these two girls right here!”

Kris and I looked around, wondering which girls had been so lucky to have actually been chosen, when all of a sudden, the announcer appeared from nowhere. He was pointing right at us! As he brought us back to the booth to claim our prize, he told us that there was no other couple on the dance floor where the girl was actually leading – and he couldn’t deny that Kris was doing a great job. So basically, thank you Universe and Cook County Saloon for getting me to this show!

And now on to the actual concert:

Kris was unable to attend since she was heading out of town for the weekend, so our contributor Johnny Rico came along with me. We showed up early enough for the opening acts because I knew a song or two from each of them and just love to see these lesser-known artists perform in general. Have I mentioned yet that the tickets we won were floor seats? In the 7th row? If I hadn’t already been closer than that to One Direction this year, I would have been pretty blown away.

The first of two opening acts was Tyler Farr.

Opening Act – Tyler Farr
Burn It Down Tour – Rexall Place – October 9, 2015

Before this show, I knew only a couple of his songs, but also knew that I liked them. Have you heard “A Guy Walks into a Bar”? If not, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a great track, and it’s been all over the radio here in Alberta. Farr got the crowd warmed up really well for the following performers. Maybe it was exciting because I was on the floor, but any opener that has the crowd on their feet dancing and having a good time is certainly a winner in my books. During the last part of his set, he walked right out into the crowd, stood on the arena boards, and sang from there. It was awesome to watch him get a hand to climb up there from a guy in the crowd, and just keep on singing like it was nothing.

Here’s a short clip of one of his performances for you to enjoy:

Next up was Cole Swindell.

Burn-It-Down-Tour-Opening-Act-Cole-Swindell

Opening Act – Cole Swindell Burn It Down Tour – Rexall Place, Edmonton – October 9, 2015

I’d heard a few songs of his and was very excited to see him perform live. What I wasn’t prepared for is the fact that Cole Swindell is a total BABE ?. And from the moment he came on stage to the moment he left, he looked like he was having absolutely the BEST time; I love performers like that. He sang a few songs that I didn’t know but enjoyed listening to, as well as his popular songs including “Chillin’ It”, “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight”, and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey”. In addition to these, Swindell has written a bunch of well-known songs for a variety of other artists including Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, and Scotty McCreery. He treated us to performances of a couple of those songs: “Get Me Some of That” (released by Thomas Rhett) and “This is How We Roll” (co-written with Luke Bryan for Florida Georgia Line). It was really neat to see his renditions of these songs that I already know so well. That being said, my favourite part was hearing him do “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” live, so here is a little clip of that:

I have to say that I think Swindell was my surprise favourite part of the evening. I was certainly excited to see him, but I had no idea that I would become such a fan. After this show, I think his music is what I will be listening to on repeat. And after looking him up on Wikipedia, I think his story is really interesting. He was a “Highway Find” on SiriusXM Radio’s The Highway, and that was what lead to his record deal. Before all this happened though, he spent several years selling items for Luke Bryan (a fellow Sigma Chi member). In particular, I think what made me love him was the way he happily danced around, smiling and pointing at girls in the crowd throughout his performance – his joy was infectious.

And now on to the main event, the amazing Jason Aldean.

Jason Aldean
Burn It Down Tour – Rexall Place, Edmonton – October 9, 2015

It was easy to tell that Aldean is a seasoned performer throughout this show. It was also easy to tell that he had a lot of fun with his staging – this is called the “Burn It Down” tour and there was certainly no shortage of fire! He had flame graphics on the large screens behind him, as well as actual pyrotechnics and real fire. The high point on the production was the end of the show, when he walked off stage while his mic stand was slowly engulfed in flames. It was sick.

As far as the music is concerned, he sounded stellar, just like I always expect from country artists when performing live. I like Jason Aldean and knew several of his songs, but only really the ones that have come out as singles and some of his bigger older hits. He performed everything that I personally wanted to see, plus some extras that were totally enjoyable, including a cover of Bryan Adam’s “Summer of 69”. He was composed on stage even when a fan jumped up to join him of her own accord, and he kept on singing without missing a beat. Here are a few clips to check it out if you want to see what his performances are all about:

So just how good was this concert actually? According to our handy fangirl-inspired rating system, the Burn It Down Tour scored the following:

8/10 feels: ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾊ?￰ﾟﾒﾃ?￰ﾟﾘﾃ⚪️⚪️

The heart-eyed smileys are for Cole Swindell, obviously. The rest of the show was a blast, and I had a lot of fun dancing to the mostly upbeat set of tunes. I love that Aldean carried his guitar for most of the show – it was awesome to see him rocking out on that while singing his iconic lyrics. I definitely recommend this show for any fan of country music. As you probably know, I’ve been to some pretty major concerts this year and this one was overall simpler than many of those, but it was still highly enjoyable.

This concert definitely made me long for Nashville. Some of you may know that I’ve been there twice in the past two years and it is my dream to live there. Just how does a Canadian girl move to Nashville, not at all to pursue music? If any of you can figure it out, please let me know!

Did you see these guys on the Burn It Down Tour? What did you think? Let me know in the comments or tweet us at @Fangirls_Online!

Cheers,

October 11, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Music Reviews Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Concert Review

written by Kristin Glass

The My Fangirl Life team had a multitude of concerts scheduled this summer, and this is the final one. Edmonton was a mecca for some of the biggest acts in music this season, so check out our previous posts where we documented the shows we attended for your reading pleasure – we’re calling it our “Summer of Concerts”. Here are our reviews of Maroon 5, Eric Church, Phillip Phillips, OneRepublic, Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, 5 Seconds of Summer and (gloriously!) One Direction. But on to today.. the fabulous Taylor Swift.

A little while ago Kris and I attended night 2 of Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour stop here in Edmonton. It was an amazing experience as expected.

I waited awhile to write about this because I wasn’t really sure what to say. I mean, I did have something to say right away, and I wrote a post about it. I also put up a concert gallery. But I wasn’t sure exactly how to describe and review the actual concert. It was pretty much everything it should be, and we were in the pit by the B stage which made it even more awesome.

Taylor sang the majority of the tracks from 1989, and sprinkled in some of her old favourites and classics. Except she didn’t just sing her older songs the way she normally does. We were all wondering how she would deal with the change in her musical style and making a cohesive show with the distinctly different sounds. In the past there were a few songs that didn’t quite fit in (such as “I Knew You Were Trouble”) but those were able to just be highlights in the evening. This time, with 1989, there were very distinct differences between the new and the old. And she handled it wonderfully… by changing her old songs up. She changed the style of them and the tone to fit into whatever part of the show they were placed in. My personal favorite was when she mashed “Enchanted” into “Wildest Dreams”… it was truly magical.

The production aspect of the show was exactly what you would expect from a Taylor Swift concert. Multiple costume changes, great back-up dancers, smoke, lights, creative backdrops, confetti, and a mechanical moving stage all added up to perfection.

But how good was it really? Here’s my rating using our handy rating system:

9.5 “feels” out of 10: ?￢ﾜﾨ?￰ﾟﾙﾋ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾭ?￰ﾟﾌﾗ

The only reason I docked half a point from this review is that I know it could have been better; we were not graced with the presence of guest performers or appearances by any of Taylor Swift’s fab squad. If I didn’t know that was a possibility, this show likely would have been a 10/10. Maybe that’s unfair of me, but I just know that would have put it way over the edge!

Taylor Swift is truly one of the concerts that I would recommend anyone go to, whether you love her or hate her (how could you?!). I promise it’s worth attending.

Cheers,

September 12, 2015 0 comment

Boy Bands & Girl Groups Concerts Music Reviews

5 Seconds of Summer Concert Review

written by Kris Padget

The My Fangirl Life team has a multitude of concerts scheduled this summer. Edmonton is apparently a mecca for some of the biggest acts in music this season, so keep watch as we document the shows we attend for your reading pleasure – we’re calling it our “Summer of Concerts”. You can also check out our reviews of Maroon 5, Eric Church, Phillip Phillips, OneRepublic, Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, and (gloriously!) One Direction. And today, the one-and-only band of boys (because they aren’t a boyband… and yet they are): 5 Seconds of Summer

For us here at My Fangirl Life, going to a 5 Seconds of Summer concert was a roller coaster of emotions. First came excitement. 5SoS was coming to Edmonton! Admittedly, we were only excited because none of the other 8 acts we saw this year had been announced yet; we were excited anyone was coming to our northern city. At that point we were pretty low on the 5SoS Fandom intensity scale. I had written a Listen & Learn about their first album, already late to the game, then continued to listen to their songs without putting much thought into the band behind the music. But we did know enough to snap up tickets; it was a show we were bound to enjoy, right?

As summer progressed, and we attended concert after concert, thoughts of 5SoS got lost in the shuffle. After all, their show was near the end and only a week after our much anticipated One Direction show. Eeeeeeek! Poor 5 Seconds of Summer, living in One Direction’s shadow, despite being a very different thing… but then again they owe 1D EVERYTHING so they probably don’t mind. One Direction came & went… and it was the best night of our lives. 5 Seconds of Summer would surely be a letdown after that. How could it not be?

As a now-dedicated member of the 5 Seconds of Summer Family it pains me to share with you all that a short time ago I was not that excited to be attending one of their concerts. Frankly it’s an embarrassing confession. So why am I telling you? So that you’ll understand just how truthful I am being when I say 5SoS Rocked. My. World. I was not a dedicated fangirl who arrived hours early for the show, spent all of her hard-earned money on floor tickets and stalked the merchandise booths for gear with the boys’ faces on it (this was me, however, at 1D ?). Those girls would have enjoyed the show no matter what. No, I was a regular fan of the band… and if I have to explain to you the difference between a fan & a fangirl, what are you even doing on this blog? (Just Kidding! Don’t leave! Check out our Fangirl Glossary for the distinction!). Because of this, you can trust my opinion to be a little more impartial. And impartially I tell you that with one concert, 5SoS drew me out of my seat, on to my feet and straight into the fandom.

I know what you’re thinking: “What exactly was it that converted you Kris?”. Thanks for asking, Reader! It was a combination of many things! Not least of all was the band itself. Has 5 Seconds of Summer ever grown up in the last year! And they must have been drinking the same mystical water 1D was feeding on, because they are now magically hot. KG & Justine, who had come in with no prior affinity to any one member of the band, were blown away by what a hunk Luke had become. For myself, his sick beats & manbun cemented Ashton at the top of my list. There’s just something about a drummer guys… and that smile… Anyways, it wasn’t just their looks that wowed us. 5 Seconds of Summer also sounded amazing live. Crisp and clean (in a grungy pop-punk way, of course), while killing it on their respective instruments. Them boys can play! ?

The show itself was simple. The stage had some light effects and movement, but the focus was on the boys themselves. And they killed it. A very charismatic group of men. They had the crowd on their feet, rocking out with their socks out (Get it? Because the tour was named the “Rock Out With Your Socks Out Tour”!). Well mostly everyone was… there was a grumpy pair of mothers behind us who sat the whole time giving us judgy looks. Yes, I’m a grown woman. And yes, I love 5SoS. Got a problem with that?

What really amazed me about the show was the trust the band had in their fans and how the arena full of screaming girls did not disappoint. I have never seen a band hold out the microphone for the crowd to sing as often as 5SoS did in Edmonton’s Rexall Place. And every single time they were met with a perfectly clear, incredibly loud recital of their lyrics back at them. The crowd knew every word (obviously… even I knew almost every word & I was only at “fan” status). It was mesmerizing & enchanting. I was proud of the teenage girls of my hometown. They were singing with the best of ’em.

But just how good was the show? I’ll quantify it using My Fangirl Life’s handy fangirl-appropriate rating system. Here’s my rating for a 5 Seconds of Summer concert:

9 out of 10 Feels: ?￰ﾟﾎﾤ?￰ﾟﾒﾃ?￰ﾟﾔﾥ?￢ﾜﾊ☺️⚪️

Conclusion: Next time perhaps I will be “a dedicated fangirl who arrived hours early for the show, spent all of her hard earned money on floor tickets and stalked the merchandise booths for gear with the boys’ faces on it” because I am hooked. I can guarantee I’ll be at any 5 Seconds of Summer concert I am faced with in the future. Nice work 5SoS. You’ve converted me. I’m your fangirl now.

Love & Luck,
Kris

August 29, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Music Supernatural Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Concert Photo Gallery

written by Kristin Glass

August 13, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Music One Direction Reviews

One Direction Concert Review

written by Kris Padget

I am a lucky fangirl. I am so lucky I spent the last few weeks of my life worried it was all too good to be true. Every link someone sent me. Every radio news story. Every magazine article that featured their angelic faces. Normally these things would inspire glee… but instead they insighted anxiety. I feared the worst. I feared that any day One Direction would announce they were splitting up. They were done. Finished. Immediately ceasing all activity as a band… including their On The Road Again stadium tour. The one that was bringing our favourite boy band to Edmonton for the first time ever. Where I would be 8th row from the stage, two seats in from the catwalk.

Luckily for me One Direction, although one member lighter, is still going strong. Some might even say better than ever. Especially those who have seen their latest tour!

Let’s start off with the concert basics. Stadium tours obviously happen in the biggest venues man can offer. This meant the stage was massive. Lots of room to run around out front, an ample sized ‘B-stage’, and a supermodel-worthy catwalk connecting the two. 1D is getting plenty of steps traversing a new stadium every week. But with the exception of gigantic, high-resolution screens (that made any seat in a giant venue a good one) it was a simple set-up. A confetti explosion and a sparse fireworks show to cap the concert off were the only bells & whistles. Instead of relying on pyrotechnics and flashing lights, a One Direction concert places all of its focus on the boys, trusting their talent & charm to entertain their captivated crowd.

And entertain they did! Yes a venue of screaming girls (and a smattering of men) of all ages would stare with rapt attention at these Adonis’ even if they stood very still & silent for 2+ hours. We drive hours and pay hundreds of dollars for this concert because we love One Direction. But 1D doesn’t rest because we already adore them. Instead they put every ounce of themselves into the show. Vocally they didn’t miss a beat. Each and every one of them sounded crisp, clear & album worthy, but with the small variation that lets you know they’re not lip-syncing. The setlist included plenty of FOUR with a bonus selection of old favourites. I sang at the top of my lungs while dancing in a 1D-enduced euphoria. The show couldn’t be described as anything less than high-energy. Even Louis, who we think might have been sick (based on the fact that he left the stage approximately 10-times between songs… maybe for a rest? maybe to vomit?), was bouncing around flashing a mega-watt smile. All of the boys made a clear & conscious effort to interact with the crowd and cover as much distance as possible, allowing the concert attendees in any seat to have a good, hard look at them.

Of course, we were spoiled in this aspect… what with being in the 8th row! And just off from the catwalk! You can check out our MULTITUDE of photos in our One Direction Concert Gallery. And for even more photos head over to our Facebook page! Try not to die with jealousy when you see how close we were sitting! Because those seats were close… like eye-contact close! Seriously, I made eye-contact with Louis Tomlinson. And Harry Styles. Oh Harry Styles…*sigh* Each member of One Direction brings their own personality to performing, but Harry Styles is the Rockstar of the group. You can trust me on this because he isn’t even my favourite… I’m a Louis girl (he’s so funny). Harry is a total weirdo on stage, but in the fabulous way that you can’t take your eyes off him. His hair is flying, his smile is shining and he is playing to anyone within eye-contact radius. Plus he has a way of posing so that you can snap the BEST photos of him. Seriously, check out his star quality here:

I love the way Harry plays with his fans. Pointing. Waving. Blowing kisses. Splashing them with his water bottle (I am never going to wash my dress again… it has trace amounts of Harry Style’s backwashed DNA on it). The other boys are a bit less comfortable but they still play to their fans, making sure they feel the love right back. Liam has a special ability to be playful with his bandmates, bringing about “awwwwww” inducing moments. Not even the pouring rain could put a damper on the spirits of either the boys or their adoring Edmonton fanbase.

But just how good was the show? I’ll quantify it using My Fangirl Life’s handy fangirl-appropriate rating system. Here’s my rating for a One Direction concert:

12 out of 10 Feels: ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾘ?￰ﾟﾘﾭ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾃ

Note: I’m not sure the concert would have received the same rating had I been seated further away from he stage. The best part of the show was literally interacting with the band. In bleacher seating the concert might only have received a measly 10 out of 10 Feels… a perfect score with no bonuses.

If you are a luckily enough fangirl or boy to be able to attend a performance of the On the Road Again tour, get psyched. So psyched! And start doing your vocal exercises because your lungs will get a workout! And if you are wondering how to construct the perfect outfit check out our post on What To Wear To A 1D Concert. And if you are not so lucky as to get to see these perfect specimens for yourselves, you can live vicariously through us & our 8th row seats with our One Direction Concert Gallery (soon many photos….Harry Styles is just so photogenic).

Happy Directioning!
Love & Luck,
Kris

July 27, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Music One Direction

One Direction Concert Gallery

written by Kristin Glass

July 25, 2015 0 comment

Closet Cosplay Concerts Fashion & Beauty Music One Direction

One Direction Fashion: What to Wear to a 1D Concert

written by Kristin Glass

The My Fangirl Life team has a multitude of concerts scheduled this summer. Edmonton is apparently a mecca for some of the biggest acts in music this season, so keep your eyes here as we document the shows we attend for your reading pleasure – we’re calling it our “Summer of Concerts”. So far, you can check out our reviews of Maroon 5, Eric Church, OneRepublic, Ed Sheeran, and Shania Twain.

Tomorrow is one such concert. In fact, it’s probably the concert we are most excited about out of all of the ones we have attended or still have to attend. Tomorrow we are going to see One Direction live… and up close! Kris and I got pretty lucky (more like very lucky) and scored floor tickets… in the 8th row… two seats away from their centre catwalk ☺️?￰ﾟﾘﾭ?!!! So basically, it’s going to be the best day of our lives, and we’re plotting how to catch the eyes of our favourite members of the band.

If you’re new to our blog, you may not have yet heard about Closet Cosplay. Basically, this is the act of dressing like your favorite fandom character (or, you know… boyband member) in your everyday life. What better occasion to pull out our best One Direction inspired outfit than attending their actual concert? And better yet, we actually have tickets to a VIP pre-party. I, for one, have never been to anything like that so I am extremely curious as to how awkward it will be, and how many moms will be there with their 13-year-olds, just judging Kris and I for being full-grown women fangirling over 1D.

Anyways, we took to our closets to put together the best outfits we could inspired by our favourite boys, at different points in their style (and music) evolution. Read on to learn more about One Direction fashion over the past few years.

EARLY 1D

Louis Tomlinson circa Up All Night
Any proper Directioner will know that in the beginning, Louis wore almost nothing but stripes, collared shirts, red pants, boat shoes, and suspenders. There are still glimpses of these things in his wardrobe today, but he’s become much more grungy and intense.

I wasn’t able to include all of his classic features, but think I put together a great Louis-inspired outfit paying homage to his early days!

Niall Horan circa Take Me Home
Niall is and always has been a pretty casual guy, though he’s glammed himself up in recent years. Back when Take Me Home came out, Niall lived in t-shirts, jeans, khakis, zip-up hoodies, casual shoes, and collared shirts buttoned all the way to the top. He has always enjoyed pairing bright colours together.

When I put on the below outfit, I definitely felt like Niall. I was casual and comfortable, and I had a practical backpack to carry around all my stuff, because that just seemed like something Niall would have.

RECENT 1D

Liam Payne circa Midnight Memories
Liam turned into a total babe between Take Me Home and Midnight Memories… though he’s my favourite member of 1D so I may be a little biased. Regardless, this is when he really figured out how to dress. During this time, he wore a lot of leather, distressed denim, and plaid shirts. All these items can still be found in his wardrobe today too!

This outfit is possibly the most badass Kris has ever looked… and I think it totally works! The crowning touch is the necklace in the shape of Liam’s arm tattoo (I’ll confess… it’s mine… she bought it for me last Christmas).

Harry Styles circa Four

Harry has probably always been the most fashion-forward of the boys. From the beginning, he totally embraced a hipster grunge look, though nowadays he’s gone a little too girly and flowy for my tastes. That being said, this type of look totally works for an ACTUAL FEMALE!

Kris put together a stellar outfit that I could legitimately see her wearing in everyday life. The combination of the leather skirt, flowy scarf, and hat also definitely add up to equal Harry Styles. One Direction Closet Cosplay - Harry Styles

Or maybe dressing exactly like the boys might not be the best way to catch their attention – you decide!

Are you seeing One Direction on their On The Road Again Tour? Where? What are you going to be wearing? Do you have any more One Direction fashion advice? Let us know in the comments, and check back later this week for a review and some commentary on our concert experience!

Cheers,

July 20, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Music Reviews

Shania Twain Concert Review

written by Justine Alyssa

The day of the Shania Twain concert was one of the longest of my life. I was up at 3:30am for work and had a 6 hours mad-rush drive home from middle-of-nowhere Alberta to make it in time. When I finally got to my seat I was exhausted and in need of an exciting, energy filled concert. The show did not disappoint.

Things kicked off with ‘We’re Gonna Rock’ and the show only went ‘Up!’ from there. Shania performed all of her hits; I literally think she sang every song on her greatest hits album.

Everything went off without a glitch. Shania has been on stage in Las Vegas recently and she looked like she’s been performing every day since I last saw her (which was over a decade ago). That girl knows how to put on a show; she’s a performer. There were lights, fire and smoke machines. There were giant screens behind her that were a great addition to the stage. The show was spectacular and she sounded even better.

For being almost 50 Shania is looking fabulous! As a recent blonde Shania added a lot of red sparkles and thigh high boots for her concert look. So fierce! Those boots!

Shania Twain was the first concert I ever attended. I remember fresh-faced Justine bobbing up and down with binoculars in hand, way up in the upper rows. I remember Shania singing my then-favourite song ‘Whose Bed’ and squealing with delight. I was just as delighted this time around.

Numerous times I was reminded of how catchy all her songs are. It’s been years since I listened to any Shania Twain, but the music started and I was singing along like no time had passed. And I wasn’t the only one, everyone in attendance was singing as loud as they could. Shania Twain was the Taylor Swift of the early 2000’s. She made pop-country a thing years before we’d even heard of Miss Swift.

During ‘Don’t Be Stupid’ she pulled two fans up onstage to sing along with her. It was fun to see the two girls belt out the song at the top of their lungs with no reservations. I’m no superstar and I still would have been more likely to make it through American Idol auditions!

She slowed it down in the middle and performed the epic ballads, ‘From This Moment’ and ‘You’re Still the One’. Honestly, it’s been years since I heard these song in countless slideshows of family photos (my family is a bit obsessed with making these for every event) and I still think I’m sick of them.

One of my favourite songs was ‘No One Needs to Know’. This song is light and airy… not to mention super country. No only is the tune super catchy but I can still see the Twister music video after all these years.

The show ended on a high with ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman.’ Classic.

The concert was excellent! A trip down memory lane for sure. I highly recommend the show for a nostalgic sing along! Grab your tickets while you still can – this is her farewell tour! Using My Fangirl Life’s own rating system, I give the Shania Twain concert:

8 out of 10 Feels: ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾚ?￰ﾟﾘﾂ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ⚪️⚪️

Are you checking out Shania’s final tour? What did you think? Share in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
– Justine Alyssa

July 16, 2015 0 comment

Concerts Ed Sheeran Music Reviews

Ed Sheeran Concert Review

written by Kristin Glass

The My Fangirl Life team has a multitude of concerts scheduled this summer. Edmonton is apparently a mecca for some of the biggest acts in music this season, so keep watch as we document the shows we attend for your reading pleasure – we’re calling it our “Summer of Concerts”. You can also check out our reviews of Maroon 5, Eric Church, Phillip Phillips, OneRepublic, Shania Twain, and (gloriously!) One Direction. But on to today’s article… a concert review for the brilliant and amazing Ed Sheeran.

I am sitting here, the morning after seeing musical genius Ed Sheeran perform live, with tears in my eyes at the memory, trying to recount my experience of the evening. I love live music. It’s probably one of my favourite things. This means I go to a fair number of concerts… but this was probably one of the very best I’ve ever attended.

I mean, it all starts with a crazy love for Ed Sheeran. I’ll admit that I’m definitely a hardcore fangirl, which certainly helps his rating. But I honestly think that someone who doesn’t know much about him would fall in love seeing him perform live. Someone who doesn’t like him (do those people exist???) would still have to give him props for his crazy-mad live skills. I think everyone in the building was blown away.

I’ve seen Ed Sheeran perform live before, twice actually, as the opening act on Taylor Swift’s RED Tour (yes… Kris and I went to both nights of the back-to-back Edmonton shows… actually for Ed, not for Taylor. Though we do love her too!). He was amazing then, a stellar opening act with just himself and a loop pedal – no band required.

As it turns out, he didn’t bring a band on this headlining tour either. All he needs to put on one of the very best shows I’ve ever seen is a guitar and a loop pedal. But before we get to that, I will briefly discuss his opening act, Rixton. Kris is planning on doing a Listen & Learn on them sometime soon, so I won’t go into too much detail – I’ll let her teach you about them and share some insights about their live performance.

Rixton is basically the perfect opening act. They sound great, are super fun to watch, and basically did the best job I’ve ever seen of getting the building warmed up. They alternated between ridiculous and awesomely fun, and got the whole crowd involved in their infectious shenanigans. We were on our feet dancing up a storm for their entire set.

By the time they were finished, my excitement about seeing Ed Sheeran had reached an all-time high. Kris and I had floor tickets, about 20 rows back, and seeing how close we were to Rixton got us even more excited to be that close to Ed. There was a short break to set Ed’s loop pedal up and, before long, there he was. Just him, alone, belting out “I’m A Mess”. That song was magic, and so were all the rest.

I am absolutely in awe of Ed’s ability to layer together the parts of a song. He creates a beat by banging on his guitar, then plays a riff and layers that over top, maybe does a little beatboxing then sings a few harmonies and layers that in too. Finally he plays and sings overtop of it all to create a masterpiece right in front of our eyes. And he did that with EVERY SINGLE SONG. Just amazing.

The stage was relatively simple compared to many tours nowadays. It had a set of screens suspended above, and Ed just stood in the middle with his guitar, mic, and loop pedal. The screens were definitely well-used and made everything exciting to watch. I thought some of the footage was very smart as well… for a couple of the songs, his music videos went up in the background, while some had special unique videos (the one for “Lego House” was FREAKING adorable. Spoiler Alert: It had Lego in it.). All Ed did, for the most part, was stand there and play and sing, yet I could not take my eyes off of the stage.

His set list included most of the songs from Multiply as well as a couple old favourites and some fun covers and mash-ups. I was on my feet for the entire show, singing at the top of my lungs. Can I just say that I totally want to be the person that walks out on-stage between songs to bring Ed the right guitar? They should auction that position off to people. I would pay a heck of a lot of money (which, you know, I don’t have) to do that for a night. Actually, I probably couldn’t do it. I’d get flustered every time he looked at me and drop the guitar or something. This is probably exactly why they don’t do it…

One of my favourite things about this show – which probably is not that exciting to most of you – is Ed’s clothing. A video surfaced from earlier in the day of him surprising a fan. Ed was out shopping at West Edmonton and happened to walk by while she was performing “Thinking Out Loud” (this was totally unplanned). He decided to jump onstage… yet another reason why Ed is just the best. I saw the video like immediately after it happened and thought he looked adorable. I hoped he would look that cute at the show that night – and when he came out onstage, there he was wearing the exact same outfit. Clearly Ed is above “stage clothes”.

Anyways, to get back on track, here are a couple videos that Kris took during the show! She took quite a few so I just put a selection in here, but if there’s a specific song you’d like to see let us know and maybe we can share a couple more! Just for the record, deciding which ones to include was EXTREMELY difficult, but I hope you enjoy these.

And lastly, I couldn’t resist including his final encore song. Just as he was kicking off this song, one of the stadium’s alarms started going off. No one even considered leaving the building.

My Fangirl Life’s Rating System is out of 10, but we’re able to use emojis to express ALL THE FEELS that any concert/movie/book/etc. gives us. The rating for this show?

10 out of 10 Feels: ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ?￰ﾟﾘﾳ?￰ﾟﾘﾭ?￰ﾟﾘﾭ?￰ﾟﾘﾶ

SO MANY FEELS! Ed sounded amazing, looked like a totally normal guy (as Ed tends to do), and somehow managed to blow the roof off of Rexall Place without a band or any pyrotechnics. The crowd was unbelievably loud, and barely sat at all… even during the slow songs. Name another act in music that can do that without all the bells and whistles, I challenge you. His lyrical and musical genius is without dispute, and I swooned so many times as he sang his well-loved lyrics. Excuse me, I’m just dyyyyyying here thinking about it…

And just to go on another tangent… how can a guy who seems just so damn normal (slash possibly even awkward) write such clever, beautiful, and sweet lyrics? Are those songs secretly hiding inside all the normal guys in the world? It’s a mystery that will probably never be solved.

Have you ever seen Ed Sheeran perform live? What did you think? Share in the comments!

Cheers,

June 17, 2015 0 comment

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