How Big How Blue How Beautiful

 Last night I attended an insane concert. During my last post, I was so excited for a concert however, I did not announce who was performing. An Indie rock band called ''Florence and The Machine" were performing and I had such an amazing time. Led by singer Florence Welch, the performance gave off such a lively energy.

 

This is Florence Welch. Her band along with many others, had formed in London, and has also been together for eight years. Florence is interested in spirituality, and in her music she expresses so much, through her body language and enthusiasm.

 The performance was at the Hollywood Bowl, and I sat across from the left screen. Not many kids were there in fact looking at the people coming, I think I was the youngest, which did not bother me at all. I was not aware of who the opening band was. The second the audience silenced,and the lights of the stadium went down, I had sworn a more modern version of The Beatles were on stage. The stage had rainbow lighting and the singer of this band who was unfamiliar to me, sounded almost eerily close to Paul Mccartney, or John Lennon. Many in the audience stood up and danced, however I sat in curiosity. The band was called Goastt, and the logo was projected on the screens.

After taking a look at the logo I automatically stopped to search the band up. The band has a full name, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. People behind me began talking to one another.

"They sound like a futuristic Beatles group'', the old woman behind me said.

"Mom I disagree, the singer sounds too close to Kurt Cobain.'' the man next to the old woman had said. 

While hearing these thoughts I totally thought, there has to be some connection to The Beatles here. I went on Google images and this is what came up.

Looking at the man's face I saw John Lennon. 

The male singer had the name of Sean Lennon. He is the son of Yoko Ono, and John Lennon. I became so excited to be in the same place as the son of such an inspiration to me, John Lennon. 

John Lennon and Yoko Ono. 

The group was very happy to perform in front of such a large audience. Personally, my opinion on the band is that they are decent. The music is repetitive, and there tends to be random guitar sounds, that don't necessarily contribute to the flow of the songs. 

Suddenly, the stage morphed from a rainbow to a bright sun of color. A giant harp and set of wooden tambourines were placed on stage. A tall woman with fiery red hair laughed, as the guitarist got the neck of the guitar comfortable in his hand. I had butterflies in my stomach and was so hyper. Gold dust stretched the depths of the stage and the audience yelled in a charismatic commotion. 

Florence set a calm energy at first with her relaxed voice. 

"Hello Los Angeles!'' a British voice echoed the atmosphere. 

The audience roared in absolute excitement. 

"Let me tell you all something.'' she continued.

''My album was based on this place right here and looking at the sky. I was texting, yes I have a phone not a carrier pigeon. Then I looked up at the sky, and thought ,how big and blue and extraordinarily beautiful the sky is. I took this image of the sky we can see right here all around the world with me and I am giving it back to all of you.'' she smiled brightly. Florence skipped across the stage barefoot and went on.

"Now music is something that can connect all of us. I was hoping you all could be our choir tonight, this is much bigger than the one we have at home.'' 

Florence began with her song" How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful''. 

"Between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign we decided to get hurt.'' she sang out rotating her hands reaching out for the sky line. I just had realized across from the Hollywood bowl was a cross and the Hollywood sign. I understood ''between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign'' as it was the exact location of her album and it's inspiration.

"Bless the childeren Florence!" the guy behind me screamed and I was laughing. 

Further into the performance she got the audience to get up and dance and clap. She flipped her auburn hair wildly and then spun and sang on the stage. She reached for hands in the audience and hugged many. Florence sang songs such as ''What the Water Gave Me'',"Mother'',''Delilah", "Caught", and so many others.

 

Half way through her song she ran off into the audience, and screamed happily providing an energy of amazement and excitement for life grabbing the hands of those to run with her. 

A small stage lit up in the audience and she sang lightly yet spinning her head in circles. A moon rose on the stage as she ran while singing "The Dog Days Are Over''. The lights went down and all you could hear were her laughs, high pitched screams,  and the noises of the beautiful harp. A member on stage gave her a tambourine. Florence sped to the edge of the stage and shook it on different sections of the audience.

"I want you all to get up. People on shoulders, people on chairs, who cares what people think'' she yelled during her song smiling brightly.

"We are going to the rabbit hole!'', she screamed. 

(The Rabbit Hole, was a song she created).

As the night went on, the band went wilder. During the duration of a very high paced song, she told people to take off their shirts like at a Woodstock concert. It was insane, she took off her shirt and waved it like crazy and walked a path through the audience. People can become so enthusiastic in their music.  

However one song reached out to me. 

Florence dramatically reached out while laying on the stage and said ''I want you all to put away your phones. To enjoy a second of your lives with your ears and soul.''

"This song called Third Eye, to me it means we need to take consideration of what we have. On our electronics we are missing out on the world around us. It is not natural in a lifetime to be so active in a different circumstance." Florence stated to the audience.

''Acknowledge one another,'' she said in an announcing voice. 

When the band played and Florence sang it just touched inside and made me realize how much I miss when I am on my phone. The song said ''original lifeline'' as in, it is not natural to live in such absence of the environment we are apart of, and it really made me question. Florence spread out her arms and circled them calmly. The band then quietly skipped off the stage. This is exactly the message I am trying to portray on my blog. Music inspires such a connection inside and with one another. Overall this concert was beyond extraordinary and a chance to really take into depth how music really reflects so many aspects of the world around, and can bring people together.