Sometimes, Simple is the Best

If anyone knew me back in junior high, they would know two things: Most of the clothes I wore other than my Catholic school uniform were from Aeropostale, and that I was obsessed with American Idol. Seasons seven and eight of American Idol were two of my favorite ever, basically because I was obsessed with David Archuleta, and even more obsessed with Kris Allen. Kris Allen winning American Idol was one of the best moments of '09 (besides it being my eighth grade year and getting to do all the fun stuff with my class before we graduated). I fell in love with Kris' voice and how he would put his own spin on every song he performed. When he performed "Apologize" during the semi-finals, I was inspired to learn to play the piano myself. I received his first album as a gift the following Christmas, and I didn't think there would ever be another album where I loved every single one of the songs so much.
Well, fast forward a few years, and I began to think that album had been Kris' first and also his last. Only two songs had been released, something I found surprising, seeing as all of the songs seemed worthy of being on the radio. I hadn't heard anything about Kris Allen for the next year and a half, and I had lost hope that one of my favorite singers was out of the music business for good. Then, one day during my junior year of high school, I stumbled upon a video of Kris Allen on YouTube performing at a place called The Mint. He performed a new song titled "Monster," and, after doing some research, learned that he planned to release a new album!
I bought "Thank You Camelia," as soon as it was released a few months later, and I fell in love with his music all over again. I did not believe anything could surpass his first album, but this one was just as good, if not better (I actually did a review of it on this blog a while back if you want to check it out). He went on a small tour that year, but I unfortunately was unable to attend any of his concerts. Again, his music received very little notification, besides him performing "Vision of Love" on American Idol.
Fast forward to last summer, when Allen released his third album, titled "Horizons." This album is slightly different from his last two, with more of a singer-songwriter feel. For the heck of it, I checked his website to see if he would be touring, and sure enough, he was coming to a city about a half an hour from my hometown. The tickets were inexpensive, so on September 6, my best friend, sister, and I ventured to the music hall to see Kris Allen perform.
The music hall where Allen performed was the cutest venue I had ever been to for a concert. It was in an old farmhouse, completed with rocking chairs on the front porch and home cooked meals from the chef inside. The food was good and the venue was cozy; there was maybe 100 people there, most just looking for something to do on a Saturday night rather than fangirling (which is what we did) over Kris Allen.
The show itself was incredible. It was, to say, the best concert I had ever been to. No, there wasn't any fireworks, like One Direction, nor any neon signs or bright strobe lights like when Philip Philips opened for John Mayer-it was just Kris Allen with his guitar and small band, giving a strong, personal performance. Allen's vocals live are incredible; he definitely deserves much more credit and recognition than he receives.
To top the night off, after his performance he announced, "I'll be at the merchandise station if you guys want to hang out." He was so casual about meeting his fans, I was almost in shock. In fact, I probably was in shock right up until I stood face to face with Kris himself. I wanted so badly to tell him how much of an inspiration he was to me, but instead, we had a conversation about how we don't like Taco Bell (I know, I don't know how it happened either). But, we did take a picture and he signed my t-shirt, so all was not lost.
Anyway, the point of this story is to say that sometime we don't need the fancy, flashy elements of a concert. Yes, fireworks are great and graphics are entertaining, but it has a tendency to take away from a performance. Sometimes all you need for a great show is a farmhouse, some talent, good company, and a guitar.

Watch Allen's performance at the Mint  here

Happy reading,

Ashley