British Invasion: George Ezra’s “Wanted On Voyage”

George Ezra strummed his guitar while singing his lyrics along with the crowd.

By: Emma

To promote his new album, “Wanted On Voyage,” UK singer/songwriter George Ezra and his band performed in the small, but packed venue at Marquee Theatre in Tempe on Aug. 15. Some really dedicated fans waited hours in the 114 degree weather in hopes to be front row at his concert. However, my friends and I decided against waiting in the heat and only stood in line for 30 minutes before the doors opened, at 6:30 p.m.

Once we got inside, to our surprise, we waited another hour before the opening act, Dylan LeBlanc, even came on stage. Having to wait for so long is a little boring, but it all pays off when you are able to hold your close spot to the stage.

LeBlanc sang solo and played slow, acoustic songs with his guitar, accompanied by a violinist and cellist. Together the trio performed soothing melodies, but were in the wrong atmosphere – – a concert. If LeBlanc had a few more upbeat songs to get people excited for the headliner, the crowd would have enjoyed their set more and not have seemed so anxious for the next act.

After taking a “selfie” with the crowd, LeBlanc exited the stage and the crowd prepared for George Ezra. The fans mainly consisted of high schoolers and college students, but there were also older fans scattered amongst the crowd.

Once Ezra appeared, the audience became very energetic and were prepared to sing along. The crowd really did make the concert lively and bright. Everyone seemed like they were having a great time and enjoying themselves, even Ezra.

After almost every lyric, Ezra stepped back from the microphone and played his guitar while swaying and closing his eyes to the beat. He was feeling and showcasing the music and not just the lyrics, and the fans soaked that up. What is very unique about Ezra, is the fact that his voice is so incredibly deep for a 22-year old. His lyrics make him seem much more mature than his age. I also loved the fact that he drank tea in between songs, expressing his British roots on stage.

Based on the fans’ screams, applause and rowdiness his most noted songs were, “Barcelona,” “Budapest,” “Listen to the Man,” “Song 6” and “Stand by your Gun.” Which are coincidentally his most popular songs recorded to date.

George Ezra cracked jokes on stage by explaining his music video for “Blame it on Me.”

I went to the concert knowing barely any lyrics or how Ezra is as an artist, but seeing him perform on stage proved to me his songs are so much better live. You could tell that he enjoyed his songs and performing them to the point where it did not matter if he had already played them a 1,000 times, he loved expressing them, and that is a quality a great musician should have. Some of his songs did sound a little similar to one another, but I believe as Ezra grows as a musician, he will become even more unique by just using his deep range of vocals, energetic vibes and his clever lyrics.

The Marquee Theatre was his last tour date this year, and it was disappointing to see he did not meet his fans outside the venue for autographs or pictures. However, remembering his live performance made up for it.

Mini Mansions are not pretending

By: Emma 

Mini Mansions’ album cover of The Great Pretenders.

With harmony reminiscent of The Beatles on steroids, the Mini Mansions have definitely produced their most successful album yet, The Great Pretenders, in March of 2015. Mini Mansions’ members, Michael Shuman, (vocals, drums and guitar) Tyler Parkford (vocals and keyboard) and Zach Dawes, (bass) together create a new wave, psychedelic pop sound of their own.

On The Great Pretenders, the Mini Mansions seem more confident and experimental with their lyrics and artificial sounds, setting them into a genre of indie pop and hypnotic, almost trans-like style. The vocals have impressive range, thanks to Shuman and Parkford, and make all of the songs on their album different in their own way of rhythm and mood. I believe some of the songs that make this album successful are “Freakout!,” “Death is a girl,” “Creeps,” “Any Emotions” (featuring Brian Wilson) and “Vertigo” (featuring Alex Turner).

The opening song, “Freakout!,” begins the album with the psychedelic feel the Mini Mansions were striving for. It creatively has the elements of deep and unnatural vocals, contrasted against the high pitched falsetto vocals of the chorus, which somehow creates an uplifting but dark song. This combination also sets the rest of the album up for more creative elements and a vast collection of musical notes and sounds to choose from.

“Death is a girl” is a bit more haunting in the way it is presented, and shows the more hypnotic style the Mini Mansions possess. It has a constant beat and high octave keyboard notes, which gives a positive vibe. This song perhaps describes the rebellious lifestyle some people choose by just living in the moment. For example, in the line, “Death is a girl and she’s only one dance away,” can describe the fact that people dance with death when they are young and when they live recklessly.

Mini Mansions from left to right, Zach Dawes, Michael Shuman and Tyler Parkford.

“Creeps” really stands out to me. The mean guitar riffs throughout the song sets a unique tone and really captivates the listener. The song also reminds me of The Beatles’ harmony with the fluent lyrics sung together by Shuman and Parkford. The lyrics are also curiously clever, such as, “Now I gotta stack you into my life, living cover of a magazine,” and “I’m giving me the creeps,” suggest the Mini Mansions’ talent of song writing also.

With the song, “Any Emotions,” the Mini Mansions take a different approach with simple lyrics and complex sounds and vocals. This song features Brian Wilson, who is co-founder of The Beach Boys and a singer/songwriter. He adds a bit of flare and publicity, but should have deserved a bit more lines in the song, to really feature him even more as an artist.

The song that really helped Mini Mansions stand out from the crowd is “Vertigo,” featuring Alex Turner. With the Arctic Monkeys’ and Turner’s large fan base, the Mini Mansions were noticed even more, helping the album become more successful. The Mini Mansions also toured with the Arctic Monkeys in the fall of 2014, so I think it is great how the bands connected by making a song together. During “Vertigo,” the Mini Mansions almost build up the song for Turner’s showcase and then after Turner’s solo, end the song with their indie pop style and signature guitar riffs and keyboard.

Mini Mansions’ 45 RPM orange vinyl record including Side A, “Vertigo,” featuring Alex Turner, and Side B, “Cheap Leather,” featuring Fred Schneider.

When I saw the Mini Mansions open up for Arctic Monkeys in Oct. 2014, they really warmed up the crowd and made their performance passionate and entertaining. I remember hearing many gasps and woahs when Shuman and Parkford hit their high notes. Shuman impressed me by being a singer, drummer and guitarist all in one on stage; clearly he is very talented. As a band there were many impressive hair flips and moves on stage, which was also great to see in general. Seeing the Mini Mansions live made me realize they will only continue to grow their fan base and become an even better band in the future.

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