Entertainment

10,000 Lakes Festival

By Claire Reinecke

Dave Matthews Band. Hippies. Glow sticks. And some more Dave Matthews Band. What could be better?  I felt I was in heaven from July 22-25, but now I realize I was only in Detroit Lakes, MN.

Walking into Soo Pass Ranch the first day, I was greeted by hyper hippies raging at the Atmosphere concert. Everyone had a glow stick and was bouncing to the beat. Atmosphere blew me away, and just to make matters better, it was pouring. There is nothing like jammin’ to a rap group in the wet, muddy mess of Soo Pass Ranch.

A crazy second night of BoomBox and a phenomenal late afternoon of Trampled by Turtles made this music fest one-of-a-kind. Umphrey’s Mcgee put on a show that nearly brought me to tears, but the thing I will always remember was the DMB portion of the weekend.

Even though DMB only played the last night of the show, they were the definite highlight of my weekend and maybe even my life. My opinion may be biased considering that they are my favorite band, but I know many agree they put on a spectacular show. Dave lit up the stage by kicking a beach ball into the crowd, and the entire audience knew it was time to jam. I was crying.

The memories of these shows will never be lost. Kudos, 10klf

Beyoncé

By Lauren Thompson

From the opening beam of light that illuminated her silhouette to the last image of the video screen displaying the message “I Am...Yours” Beyoncé thrilled the audience and put on a passionate, brilliantly executed performance at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 13.

What was most apparent throughout all of the costume changes, video displays, and choreography is that all of it fit with Beyoncé and matched her energy. Her performance and the well planned video clips seemed to happen naturally and flowed with the technical aspects of the show without seeming as forced or sloppy.

The transitions were smooth and the organization of the songs as well as the show was set up to seem like one whole performance, rather than a collection of individual songs.  It worked well.  Even considering how well set up and designed the show was, what made the night special was the spirited performance and display of personality given by Beyoncé herself.

With each dance and song she gave off the aura of someone who meant every word she sang. Pair that with her enthusiastic approach to performing in front of an audience and her ability to involve them with each song (including Beyoncé asking me how I old I was), and it was a show featuring one of the best performers on the planet.

Overall, from beginning to end the show was well done, enthusiastically executed and it validated Beyoncé’s status at the top of the music industry.

Coldplay

By Caiti Slattery

I entered the Coldplay concert in Omaha, NE a mere acquaintance with the band’s most popular songs, and I left a huge fan. The Viva La Vida Concert Tour could convert any of us with amazing fan appeal, a great set list and the not-to-shabby looking lead singer Chris Martin.

The Tour was more than a concert; it was a spectacular performance. From thousands of butterflies pumping from the ceiling during “Lovers in Japan” to humungous yellow beach balls bouncing around the crowd during “Yellow,” the additional effects by far surpassed those of other concerts I’ve attended.

In addition to the awesome extras, the whole band worked the crowd. Sometimes, bands as renowned as Coldplay think that just by performing they are doing the crowd a favor, but that was not the case in Omaha. The entire band kept moving; at one point, the lights went dim and the four-member band appeared on another stage forty feet into the crowd from the main stage, about five feet from where I was standing! As another crowd pleaser, the band performed a few songs from a stage in the nose bleeds seats, literally in the laps of those sitting in the high risers.

Coldplay put on an awesome show at the Quest Center. They worked the crowd, they executed their songs perfectly and they put on an all around great performance. I highly recommend that if the opportunity ever presents itself, attend a Coldplay concert, whether you are a fanatic or not.