B96 Summerbash 2013; Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were probably the most anticipated artists at Summerbash this year. With the release of The Heist, their fanbase has grown significantly; even my parents know who Macklemore is! By the time Miley Cyrus introduced them, it had begun to rain like crazy. The entire crowd was soaking wet, but the energy was so high that the rain only added to the excitement. Macklemore began by singing "Thrift Shop", which of course everyone knew the words to. Next was "Same Love", which is possibly my all time favorite song. Macklemore explained to the crowd that this is probably one of the most important songs of his, because equality so important. I totally agree with him on that front, and the entire crowd put their index fingers in the air in support of "Same Love" and Macklemore's message.
I definitely think that Macklemore brings a new dimension to hip hop. Not only are his songs incredibly catchy, but the messages he sends through his work are incredible. The music video for "Same Love" has over 48 million views, and counting. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis both had such a fun energy to them throughout their preformance. Macklemore even crowd surfed for a good amount of time. I also think that Macklemore has opened many people's eyes to the world of hip hop, including my own.
Macklemore has upcoming shows both in the US and in Europe. For more information, go to http://macklemore.com/shows

B96 Summerbash 2013 Overview

Over the next few days, I will be posting mainly on this year's B96 Summerbash. For those who don't know, Summerbash is a concert held at Toyota Park in Illinois that B96 puts on every year. It always features a lot of different artists. Summerbash is a great value because you get to see many of the most popular groups of the moment. B96 also hosts a winter version of Summerbash, called Winterbash. This year, the concert hosted Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Zedd, Sammy Adams, Mike Posner, Timeflies, Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne, Afrojack, Cher Lloyd, Emblem3, Ne-Yo, and Krewella. Miley Cyrus made an appearance as the celebrity guest host. Mainly, I was most excited for Demi Lovato, Emblem3, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and Sammy Adams.
The concert was a nice mix of techno dj-ing , hip hop, and top 40 pop. Throughout the 6 hours (!!), B96 kept the crowd's energy up even when it started to rain. Even though a couple of the artists weren't my usual cup of tea, there never was a dull moment. In my opinion, Demi was fantastic. Her music is definitely pop, yet she has a beautifully soulful voice that really came out as she sang Rihanna's "Stay". I also loved Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's energy. By the time they began to play, it was pouring rain, yet the entire crowd was so into their performance that no one left. I was a bit surprised with the fact that Miley Cyrus was on stage for a total of maybe 5 minutes; and that's stretching it. She came on stage, said thank you to the crowd for listening to her new song, "We Can't Stop", and introduced the next act. Then she left. However, I was glad that I got to see her, and she looked amazing, as usual.
Overall, I really enjoyed myself and I will be adding more detailed posts on each of the performers in the next couple days. Stay tuned!
Check out B96's website for more information, http://b96.cbslocal.com/

The Black Keys; El Camino

The Black Keys are a group that both my parents and I love. I remember getting a coupon at Starbucks for a free download of "Run Right Back", and my mom encouraging me to listen to it. I ended up downloading the song to my itunes and completely forgetting about it. About a year later, I listened to it by accident and fell in love. My dad had the CD in his huge collection, so I was happy to have the entire album to listen to.
El Camino is an alternative album filled with more catchy beats than catchy lyrics. This is what really separates it from some of the other music I listen to. The power in this album is definitely in the beat, as well as in their garage rock feel. Tracks such as "Little Black Submarines" and "Sister" have more of a raw feel to them than others. I feel like those are the songs that give The Black Keys a retro rock tempo. One of the most popular songs, "Lonely Boy" won 3 Grammys, and for good reason. It has an upbeat tempo that really shows how well The Black Keys incorporates their rock influences with their indie influences. This combination is also apparent in "Dead and Gone", a personal favorite. I love how El Camino has kept the same recorded-in-the-basement feel that their earlier albums had.
Currently, The Black Keys have several tour dates planned both in the US and Canada. Check out their website for more information. http://www.theblackkeys.com

Just a General Disclaimer

Let me start this blog by saying that my music taste is all over the place. As any teenage girl, I do enjoy the usual Top 40 pop hits. Taylor Swift and One Direction are some of the most played artists in my iTunes library. This being said, teeny-bopper pop is not nearly the only thing I listen to. I love going through my dad's CD collection, and through this I have discovered a love for many different kinds of music. My love for The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, and The Shins have all come out of an open mindedness for music that carries over to other genres as well. One day I will be listening to John Butler Trio, and the next I will be jamming out to Macklemore or Hoodie Allen.
What I'm trying to say is that if you are looking for a blog only on Emblem3 or Demi Lovato, or a blog only on U2 or Coldplay, this is not the blog for you. Although all of those artists will be included in this blog, so will many others from all across the music scene. My music taste is not at all discriminating, so these posts won't be either. If you have any artists that you think I should check out, feel free to email me at PlaySwitch@yahoo.com