concerts

Niyaz at MIM!

Sophia Ravenna
Still a couple stops left on their May tour!
Still a couple stops left on their May tour!

Remember when I went to the Musical Instrument Museum a couple months ago and said I hoped to return soon? Well, I went back last night, but not to see more exhibits! Instead, I was there to see my favorite band Niyaz perform live in MIM’s wonderful theater!

I splurged on front row tickets, because seriously, they were only about $5 more than tickets further back in the theater, and am I gonna skimp when the band I love is finally in my state? No, I am not. Although, the theater had a really nice slope to it so I have a feeling that there’s not a bad seat in the house, and that even the back rows probably had a good view, because it wasn’t an especially large venue. And of course, since it was specifically built to host concerts in a museum dedicated to music, I’m sure the acoustics were amazing no matter where you sat. I know the music sure sounded great in the front, though, without being too loud — neither Chris nor I had “concert ear” at the end of the night.

The show was a mix of songs from their new “The Fourth Light” album and a few old favorites. You can see which musicians are touring with them on the flier above. I have to say, in addition to of course loving Azam Ali’s voice, I was so impressed by Didem Basar’s kanun playing! It was so incredibly beautiful, and it was amazing to watch her hands as she played faster. The kanun is one of my favorite instruments and one I rarely get to hear played live, so that was a special treat.

Niyaz’s music is incredibly danceable, although I spent most of the show swaying in my seat next to my non-dancing husband. I finally got up for the last song of the night, and when Azam acknowledged me with a smile from the stage, I almost swooned like a teenager at her first boy band concert! Then when some of my old Plaza dance pals ran down the stairs to join me, we had a wonderful mini-dance party and agreed that we all should have gotten up a lot sooner!

My only complaint was that the show was pretty short. It started at maybe 7:20, and after one song encore, a chat with my friends after the show, and a quick trip to the lady’s room before the long drive home, it was 9:05 when we got in the car. I would have liked a couple more songs in the set… Or, you know, an all-night concert covering Niyaz’s entire repertoire. That’s not too much to ask, right? Especially since it was over a 4 hour round trip?

All in all, I’m so happy that I was able to attend this show and I hope Niyaz will come back to AZ again before I move away next year. In the meantime, if you live in California, they will be out your way next, so catch one of their shows if they’re anywhere near you!

Inspiration: Lindsey Stirling

Sophia Ravenna
Photo apparently courtesy of Instagram user @caffeicaddiction
Photo apparently courtesy of Instagram user @caffeicaddiction

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the sold-out Lindsey Stirling concert at the Rialto Theater here in Tucson. It was an inspiring evening, not just because it’s always inspiring to listen to good music, but because it was wonderful to see a stage full of people who appeared to really love what they do. Furthermore, I find Lindsey Stirling inspiring because she found her own little niche — dancing while playing the violin paired with dub step music, with forays into geeky themes — and became hugely successful with it. Many of her shows on this tour have/are sold out. She has over 2.5 MILLION fans on Facebook. And the show last night was filled with a wide demographic of people. I saw fans far younger than me and fans older than me. I ran into some of my gaming friends and my hip-hop teacher and later learned that one of our local drummers was there, too.

What I took away from this show is that it’s important to be true to yourself and what inspires you. Lindsey spoke about these themes a few times throughout the night as she explained the life events that inspired some of her songs. As artists, it’s a constant struggle to balance what you think people might like and want to pay you for, and what you really want to create. But I think the audience can tell when you’re being inauthentic, when you’re just chasing the latest trend or shamelessly pandering instead of showing them your authentic self. Oh sure, you might fool a few people and make a few bucks here and there, but you’re far more likely to burn out when you’re not doing what really moves you.

As an example, one of the songs Lindsey played last night was the Zelda themed. She rocked it out and seemed to have a great time with it and the audience loved it. It felt authentic. But if I were to do a belly dance to the Zelda theme, it wouldn’t have the same impact. I didn’t have a Nintendo when I was a kid, I’ve never played a Zelda game in my life, those aren’t my geek roots. To be true to myself, I’d have to dance to something about Dungeons and Dragons or the theme music from Guild Wars 2, because that’s my geek cred.

Obviously there’s no magic short cut to success. I’m not saying that if you find your own weird little niche and be true to it, that you’ll also get 2.5m FB fans and people screaming your name at your concert/performance/gallery opening. Your niche might not resonate with that many people. But it will resonate with somebody, and they’ll feel inspired in turn to be true to their own inspiration.