Charlie Dorf
Senior Editor
Summer means a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s a trip to a summer house in the boonies, and for others simply an escape from the demands of the school year. Summer, however, is universally accepted as a time to relax and enjoy oneself, and for many this comes in the form of summer concerts. Several students submitted their own summer concert experiences below.
Senior Sam Hines on the July 25th Wiz Khalifa concert at Central Park Summer Stage
A little over three years ago, Wiz Khalifa stood in front of less than 10 people in New York City on the Bowery, receiving little to no encouragement to continue his rapping career.
Its funny how the tables have turned since then. On July 25th, 2011, Wiz Khalifa ran on stage wearing a black wife-beater and low top Chuck Taylor All Stars in front of 3,000 screaming fans at Central Park Summer Stage in the pouring rain.
As the lights began to flash and the cloud of marijuana smoke began to form over Central Park, Wiz Khalifa started off with one of his great hits, “When I’m Gone,” a slightly more somber song, but still chock full of references of his favorite activity of smoking “chronic.”. After all, his new album is called “Rolling Papers,” which is an unsubtle testament to his favorite past time. People began putting their hands up, chanting the slogan “Taylor Gang,” as he wrapped up his opening number.
As far as the musical aspect of the performance, Wiz did quite well. He played his tops hits of “Black and Yellow,” “Roll Up,” “No Sleep,” “On My Level,” along with numerous songs that only a die hard Taylor Gang member would know, like “Gang Ban”” and “Ink My Whole Body.”
One of Wiz’s best traits when seeing him live was his stage presence. He legs moved like jello as he ran around stage, doing circles around the speakers and jumping up and down.
Wiz also preformed several songs with the new up and comer Big Sean, a relatively young rapper who has made it big on wearing hyped TISA snapbacks and shirts, along with some talent on the side. He preformed well with Whiz that night, as Big Sean’s smoother voice balanced out Wiz’s raspy and loud rapping.
All in all, the concert was quite good. It was clear that half of the crowd came for the music and half of the crowd came to have a communal place to smoke their leafy green in a large crowd without worrying about getting busted by the cops. His concert was definitely a “high point” for the Central Park Summer Stage, as it was truly an exposé of all his songs.
Senior Emily D’Adamo on the Stamford Alive at Five Music Festival
Many things come to mind when the word “summer” is mentioned; getting tan, not going to school, and of course, “dartying”. But one particular summertime activity is considered the crème de la crème of things to do; and that is going to Alive at 5.
Every Thursday during the summer months, large amounts of New Canaan High School students board the 5:17 train to Stamford, clutching their pre-paid tickets, and Poland Spring water bottles (hydration is key during the summer heat) in anticipation of the night to come. These students all have one shared destination in mind: Alive at 5. The 15-minute ride over is almost always met with pre-concert ruckus, and a very limited seating opportunity due to the sheer volume of people in the train cars, which has made NCHS students a huge hit with the 9-5 commuters.
Once in Stamford, the journey over is brought to the streets, where hoards of friends make their way over to the concert pavilion. After being greeted by the friendly concert staff and security guards, and allowing them to bestow upon your very hands the trademark “Under 21” X’s, one finds his or herself thrown into an active and colorful environment consisting mostly of short shorts and overweight 25 year old men. Within mere seconds of entering, everyone makes his or her way to the “NC side” which is located to the left of the stage. If you’re smart, you won’t leave this happy little niche, unless of course, you need to make a quick trip to the facilities, in which case you strut your stuff over to Falafel, (port-a-potties are not acceptable,) wait in line for 25 minutes, and then pay the nice lady outside the door 5$ for entry.
Once you’ve visited the restrooms and gotten acquainted with the atmosphere that is Alive at Five, there are a few courses of action that you may follow for the majority of the night. You may either:
A.) Leave your comrades completely and make “new” ones
B.) Partake in a photo-shoot with your friends, which will then promptly be added to one of their “Summer 2011 ♥♥♥♥♥♥” albums upon their arrival home
C.) Actually listen to the music
Depending on which of the above you choose, your Alive at Five experience may differ greatly from that of someone else. A prime example of a successful Thursday night was the first concert of the summer season: Third Eye Blind. The solid mixture of start of summer excitement, and a legitimate knowledge of who the band was, allowed for an optimal Alive at Five experience. Although the group is slightly passé, they performed an extensive set of their summertime classics, like the hit “Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life.” The combination of ‘90’s hits and crowd surfing hooligans made the night feel like it came straight out of an American Pie movie, and the small number of arrests made was, without a doubt, an added bonus.
To say that Alive at Five concerts are a pertinent part of an NCHS student’s summer vacation is a gross understatement. Despite the reported drug-related stabbing, numerous arrests, and post-concert naps on the train rides home, Alive at Five will definitely remain a staple event for Thursday nights of future summers to come.
Junior Kit Clemente on the June 18th Dispatch concert at the Red Bull Arena
Going to the concert of an American indie/roots band, I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, except the unusual. Dispatch is a very un-mainstream band, and I was curious as to who would be in the crowd with me and my friends, and what type of performance the band would put on. Despite my uncertainty, Dispatch put on a spectacular concert. The band used all technology the new Red Bull Arena was equipped with, including a zip line they used to zip line down to the stage on in their encore act. The overall ambiance was wonderful, all the fans danced and sang along with the band and everyone was very ecstatic and friendly throughout the night.
