This show was one of the most surreal shows for me. Since last year’s spring concert, I wanted to be a part of the committee to continue this tradition every year. So I got a crew together and together we worked tirelessly to get an awesome act and make this show the greatest we could make it. Getting MAX was kind of surreal for me as I’ve been a fan of “Lights Down Low” since before I knew it was him. So, as I mentioned, I helped run the show from the morning hours till late in the evening and even took photos during the show itself for several outlets, including here. Planning a show is HARD work. But there’s no feeling like seeing it come to life. Now, without further ado, here is my write-up and photos from a show I helped plan. 🙂
So first we had Vertigo, a band whom, if you read my blog posts a lot, you know quite well. Once we had our headliner, I knew they would fit well since they have a similar demographic. And as usual, they were awesome. They had a full set and it was cool because we had an enormous stage so they were able to use it all. They performed a mix of older and some newer songs for those who had heard their music prior to this show. I was pleasantly surprised because I noticed some of the crowd singing along with them which was awesome. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and enjoying their set. They were a great opener because they got the crowd’s blood pumping and adrenaline rushing with their upbeat and funky tunes. They always put on such a great live show each and every time I see them. This one was no different. If you are unfamiliar with Vertigo and like pop/rock/funky music, you will enjoy them. On all their social medias, look up “vertigopa’ because you’ll spend way too much time trying to find them just by their actual title.
Next up we had pop/rock locals, A Summer High. When choosing them, we considered their similar demographic as well as their increasing popularity over the past year. This was only partially demonstrated at the VIP pre-show when they played a short acoustic set for those lucky enough to get VIP and come on time. The crowd was singing along and dancing to their every song. It helped that they included popular covers such as “She Looks So Perfect” by 5SOS and “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. But they were great to prep the crowd for MAX. They’re on all forms of social media so go give them a follow!
And then, we have MAX. First of all, I was staff and helped manage the show and a lot goes into that. That being said, I did a lot of talking to MAX and his crew about certain show-related things, and even tended to their needs. But he was such a sweetheart. From the first moment I introduced myself to him and told him myself (and my girl Allie who co-managed with me… couldn’t have done this without her) would be the ones to tend to anything him and his team needed. He gave us hugs and introduced himself and asked our names. And each time myself or any of our group had to talk to him or his team, they were consistently kind and appreciative. He is the nicest guy. Celebrities have a bad rep that way and a lot of them likely are. But I can tell you from experience that MAX is a genuinely good guy. He and his team thanked us several times for all the work we did to accommodate them.
Now, on to his performance. I’ve never seen him perform but I’ve seen videos and he’s insane. By the end of the show he was covered in sweat. He utilizes the size of the stage and interacts with the crowd and dances like an absolute maniac. He’s so into it. Even being one of the smaller shows he’s done lately, he put his all into it and it was just captivating to watch. I found myself thinking he reminded me of a modern day Michael Jackson. From his vocal range, to his stage presence and performance, to his eccentric personality and style, he’s definitely not your typical 25 year old guy. But he embraces every aspect of himself and preaches great things and that is beautiful. He’s a great role model. From following him on social media to meeting him in person and seeing him perform, he demonstrates that and is very raw and real. Nothing but great things to say.
His entire performance was a dance party. A nice break from reality for a night for most of us college kids. Every single member of that crowd was having the time of their lives and that was a beautiful sight to see.
As I said, I’ve never done anything like that before and watching our ideas on paper come to life month after month leading up to the day of the show, was absolutely incredible. What a journey. Thank you to Vertigo, A Summer High, and MAX for putting their all into their performances and making this such an amazing show.
The photos turned out even better than I imagined. As usual, I featured some of my favorite photos below, which was SO hard to choose, but be sure to check out the rest on my Flickr Portfolio.
Here’s to another fantastic spring concert next year 🙂
Abigail McNatt Photography 