Meeting Dar Williams (Live at the Ark)

Dar and me

Dar’s performance at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan was fantastic. Technically, it was billed as “An Evening with Dar Williams,” which meant that there wasn’t an opening act: it was all Dar. Wonderful. I went with two friends from Bryn Mawr. We stuck around afterwards to meet Dar, and it was super exciting. She was really sweet — she signed our CDs and tickets, took a photo with us, and chatted for a minute about Bryn Mawr. 

Dar Williams: “The Christians and the Pagans”

“The Christians and the Pagans” has been one of my favorite Dar Williams songs for a long time — so much so, in fact, that I chose it as my senior solo with my a cappella group in college (it helped that my friend offered to arrange it for me, though). It is not, however, a song that Dar performs frequently, from what I’ve been able to tell from my four concerts (and multiple YouTube searches). Nevertheless, at her concert at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, MN, Dar sang “The Christians and the Pagans,” and it was wonderful.

Dar Williams in Saint Paul!

I adore Dar. And while I think that absolute best Dar concert is the Dar-at-Bryn-Mawr concert, tonight was pretty excellent (even though it was Dar and someone else). The first half of the concert consisted of Joan Osborne and then, finally, what I’d been waiting for all night — Dar appeared on stage. And she was her endearing, quirky, warm, exceptional self. It was a fantastic concert. 

At the Ani Concert: Ani DiFranco’s 41st Birthday in Minneapolis

I just got back from my second Ani DiFranco concert, and she was utterly amazing — magnetic, endearing, humourous, and, of course, musically incomparable.
And oh, man, can she play guitar.

My Dream Concert

My immediate reaction is that if I were to put together a perfect concert, it would absolutely need to have Ani, Dar, Babs, and Darren Criss. I thought a little more about what would really make it unforgettable — what would combine all of my favorite performances (not so much favorite songs, but favorite performances and performers), and I added a few more names: Kim (from the Night Owls, one of Bryn Mawr’s a cappella groups), P!nk, Cher, and ShinHwa (my childhood favorite Kpop group). I mean, if we could squeeze in Chris Colfer, Idina Menzel, NPH, and John Barrowman, that’d be fantastic, but I wouldn’t want to get greedy (you have to draw the line somewhere, after all).

I Want To See Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (and Darren Criss)!

I have such ridiculous fanboy crush on Darren Criss. It’s, well, ridiculous. I love him performing as Blaine; I love him performing as himself; I love watching videos of him being adorable (forgetting the lyrics to his own songs, rhapsodizing about apple juice, talking about how being pink would make people seem less mean). And I absolutely wish I could see Glee: The 3D Concert Movie. It’s basically everything good about Glee all at once.

Dar Williams at Bryn Mawr College

In a way, my experience at Bryn Mawr was bookended by Dar Williams concerts. My very first exposure to Dar was when she performed in Goodhart at the beginning of my freshman year (possibly before classes even started). And near the end of my senior year, she came back to Bryn Mawr and performed in TGH (Thomas Great Hall, to all not in the know).

Rihanna at the Target Center

Rihanna at the Target Center

Last night, my two Twin Cities-based cousins and I went to the Rihanna concert at the Target Center. It was like no show I’d ever seen before. Half a dozen costume changes, pyrotechnics, glitter, platforms rising into the air — the works. Granted, I’ve never been to a concert so big before (Dar, Ani, Flogging Molly . . . I suppose the Glee tour comes the closest). All in all, Rihanna really puts on a show.

Glee Live Was So Amazing!

Glee in Minneapolis

The Glee Live Tour came to the Target Center in Minneapolis tonight, and I got to see it! It was incredible. Despite my problems with Glee as a show, I really do adore the cast and music of Glee. The cast of Glee is so talented (and Darren Criss joined them for the tour!), and the show exceeded my already high expectations.

Theatre For Life: Coming Home Again

When my senior year ended, I thought I’d never again have a chance to sing on my high school stage. Theatre was the center of my life in high school, and leaving was one of the hardest adjustments I’ve made. And then I was given a chance to sing on that stage again, with other fellow theatre alums — my theatre family — and it was magic, just like it always was.