1D in Dublin

The Emerald Isle. Sheep. Cheerful people. Lighthearted music. Lots of cider. And beer. As well as cozy pubs. This is how I've always imagined Ireland to be. And from what I experienced from my week in Ireland, I can say that all of that is most certainly true! Oh...and lots of rain. Did I forget to mention this? 

Our last stop in Ireland was Dublin; a surprisingly beautiful city with its wonderful architecture, clean streets, and grand parks. The buildings are old, but not ancient and sophisticated, but not showy. 

The city itself is small, easily walkable from end to end. Dublin’s smallness is part of its charm.  Not too big, not too crowded, just perfect size.

Our days were packed with lots of walking, sightseeing, eating, and enjoying pieces of “home” that we couldn’t get in Italy. (Namely Starbucks, bookstores, and food other than pasta!)

The highlight of my time in Dublin, and quite possibly of my entire time in Ireland was a certain concert I have been dreaming of going to for a while now. One Direction!

I have no shame in the fact that I felt like a giddy 13-year old the entire night!

One Direction kicked off their UK tour in Dublin, which also acted as a homecoming for Niall Horan, who used to live in a small town just outside of Dublin.

About a half an hour into the show, Niall waved an Irish flag and took to the front of the stage to address his public.
‘Four years ago nearly to the day I stood over in the corner and auditioned for The X Factor and look at me now,’ he said.
‘I have had so much love and support from you guys and hope- fully we can pay that back tonight. You don’t get to play Croke Park every night.’

Their concert was incredibly energetic. No cheesy choreographed dance numbers, no matching suits. For the most part the guys jumped around the stage like they’re hanging out together having the time of their lives, but in front of 82,000 people. They’re charming on stage, with their inane between-songs banter keeping the audience amused.

The finale was outstanding. Which is what finales obviously should be, but it needs to be said. 1D belted out Best Song Ever as the entire the Croke Park Stadium sang, screamed and danced along as a blaze of fireworks exploded from behind the stage.

Their concert was the ultimate conclusion to our chapter in Ireland and once again, left high expectations for my remaining travels.

 

The Walking In Between

This past Friday, a couple others and I took a road trip down to the cities to see an amazing Singer/Songwriter, Ben Rector, at the Varsity Theater.

This concert was just hands down incredible. From the music, to the lighting, to the funny jokes. It had it all. At times the audience would be jumping out of their seats and dancing to an upbeat song, and others it would be completely still listening to just Ben and the piano in quiet enjoyment. 

Ben genuinely cares that everyone has the best time possible and gets the audience to sing and dance and be involved. He really makes you feel like you get a sense of what a good, down to earth, funny guy he is. The way he puts on a concert makes it feel very personal and fun and like he's just a friend of yours coming to hang out.

Seeing him perform draws you into his excitement and frankly, just your own sense of pure joy. Early on in the show, he took a moment to stop and stare around the holy auditorium, which caused his audience to be drawn into the moment he was experiencing. He called for the house lights to be brought up so he could see the equally excited faces around him. 

At the end of the show, we stuck around for a while and had the opportunity to meet Ben! He was so sincere in taking the time to talk with each of us on a personal level verses just saying hello and getting an autograph. 

I leave you with one of my favorite Ben Rector lyrics. If you haven't had the chance to listen to his music, what are you waiting for?! 

 "Life is not the mountain tops, it's the walking in between."

Seeing Red

This past Friday night, my sister and I took a trip to the Fargodome to see the notorious Taylor Swift.

 It was a remarkable show filled with fireworks, elaborate video setups, plenty of costume changes, and confetti, lots of confetti. 

Dorothy would have swooned over Taylor Swift’s glittery red shoes. It's safe to 

say she'd go for the sparkling red guitar, too. And the red microphone, the red lipstick, the red dresses and even her violinist's red hair.

“I write lots of songs about my feelings, and I tend to think a lot about emotions,” Swift said into her red-sequined microphone. “These emotions can be so intense they drive people mad. But experiencing them can help turn us into the people we’re supposed to be.”

When she asked the audience what color best described those crazy emotions, it wasn’t difficult to figure out what the answer would be.

“Red!” we all screamed.

Taylor then launched into the album’s title track. A few songs later, she had another message for the crowd.

“I used to think meanness was something that people grew out of,” Swift said as she sat on a bench and periodically strummed her banjo.

“But I found out that’s not true. There’s always going to be somebody picking on you,” Swift said. “The only thing that’s up to us is how we respond to it, and one way to respond is to make a mental note to never treat anyone else the way this person has treated you.”

Nods of admiration and a few teary-eyed looks of recognition made it obvious that what she was said was touched everyone in the audience on a personal level.

The sets during Taylor's concert included Paris, a movie theater premiere in the 1940s, a masquerade ball, a rustic carnival and a Tim Burton-worthy circus.

Overall, the show was phenomenal and I would highly recommend seeing her in concert at least once! 

You will be in for one heck of a show!

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/08/06/2927287/taylor-swifts-red-tour-stops-in.html#storylink=cpyThe sets during Taylor's concert included Paris, a movie theater premiere in the 1940s, a masquerade ball, a rustic carnival and a Tim Burton-worthy circusOverall, the show was phenomenal