Musicapalooza!

Stephanie and I with Chris McKay & the Critical Darlings at 40 Watt

Note: This was originally posted on my livejournal and on Last.FM in mid-March. Then, to my great surprise, the Critical Darlings posted it on their website here soon after! :)

Wow. This town never ceases to give me amazing new musical experiences! I'm not even sure how it happens. I guess I'm just incredibly lucky!

I was invited to this school-sponsored music festival, Sustainapalooza, and since I had nothing better to do today (and I was trying to forget what a terrible day I had), I decided to go. I heard several bands play there, but the very last act of the night, Chris McKay & The Critical Darlings, blew me away. They brought a whole new energy to the stage that I loved. Truly, their stage presence was spectacular, and their talent was undeniable.

Also, in my mind, there are two things that make a great band utterly amazing. The first thing is a penchant for making clever comments or sharing amusing anecdotes between songs. They certainly provided us with entertainment during the pauses which was nice. The next and most important thing is a genuine love for their fans. Bands that thank their fans, take the time to talk to them, and make them feel special top my list of awesome musical acts. Chris McKay & the Critical Darlings met and surpassed this criteria. Not only did they give us shoutouts for dancing, but they also sang directly to us when we stepped closer to the stage. Then, after they finished playing, they gave everyone in the audience free CDs and offered to sign them. They were incredibly happy to chat with us as they signed them as well. To top it all off, they are going to try to put all of us who stayed after the show onto the VIP/ special guest list for their show tomorrow night. How amazing is that!

Basically, Chris McKay & the Critical Darlings gave us a truly awesome musical experience. It's times like these that I fully appreciate the freaking fantastic life that I lead.