Going to concerts was not a huge part of my upbringing. As I got older and gained more freedom, I began attending and later photographing local shows. One of my late close friends, Zack Russell, and his band at the time, In Resistance, gave me the push that I needed to dive into the concert photography world. Since then, I have gone onto photograph many well known artists such as Skillet, Lindsey Stirling, Leon Bridges, Charley Crockett, and many more.
This summer my main goal is to photograph as many shows as possible, with the idea of giving people ‘fomo.’ I understand that in this economy it can be hard to afford things like concerts, however, we only live once. Live for those live music moments, the memories with friends, family or loved ones, the special outing to destress from every day worries and responsibilities. So, here are my top 5 tours to see this summer in the DFW area.
- Hilary Duff: Lucky Me Tour
This is kind of a no brainer if you are a nostalgic millennial like myself. Lizzie McGuire was one of the many staples of my childhood. The show taught me many valuable lessons, but the most important one of my pre-teen/teenage era was to simply just love me for me. There was nothing wrong with the way I looked, how I dressed or how I chose to express myself. I will forever be grateful for the lessons Lizzie taught me.
2. Charlie Puth: Whatever’s Clever!
Charlie was another huge part of my high school and college life. He makes having perfect pitch look and sound so easy. The first time I heard ‘Attention,’ I thought, “This would sound so much better as a jazz song.” And here we are years later and Charlie recently posted a jazz cover of the song. The way he originally intended it to be. I probably asked my piano teacher way too many times to play his songs during class, but hey, at least I learned something and kept up with the music theory and techniques Charlie uses in all of his songs. I am also very ecstatic to see him perform as a first time dad.
3. Mumford and Sons: Prizefighter
Mumford and Sons have held a special place in my heart for many years now. When I was in middle school and high school (2006-2013) the “hipster” style was on the rise. Mumford and Sons fit the bill perfectly for us mustache loving freaks. One Christmas I received a Mumford and Sons piano, vocal and guitar book. It was the most fun I had reading sheet music. There is something so tangible about their sound. You can feel the raw emotions, and dare I say it, you can feel the coffee house vibes. I saw them live in 2015 at Dos Equis Pavillion (at the time it was Starplex) and it is still one of my favorite shows I have seen over the past decade.
4. Rush: Fifty Something Tour
Rush is another band I loved in high school. My theater friends and I went through this massive 80’s rock phase, which led to us listening to 70’s and 60’s rock as well. Rush was a top contender on our list. Tom Sawyer of course was most likely the most popular song to us (at the time) but I thoroughly enjoy other Rush songs as well, such as The Spirit of Radio, Fly by Night and Limelight (all popular songs as well).
5. Demi Lovato: It’s Not That Deep Tour
Native Texan singer/songwriter/actress who was a major part of my upbringing, is making her comeback to music and touring. This makes my little teenage heart beyond happy. Demi has shown what it means to be human-to fall so far past being helped to helping others overcome addiction.
All five of these artists have gotten me through different times of my life. I am thankful for every single one of them, and I do hope to see them this summer!
Photo source: Google Search