Ha 1 Francis Ha Stephanie Liberatore ENGL 101 3/3/13

The Whirling Diva: A Lindsey Stirling Concert Review

On February 13th, 2013, I stood in the presence of a goddess. Her name is Lindsey Stirling and there is no doubt in my mind that she is the next big thing in music. If I told you that Ms. Stirling could dance and play on her violin like a Muse out of myth, you might be inclined to laugh; you might call me foolish or smitten, and I would say that you are probably right. But if you ever have the chance, if you see her in concert for yourself, then you will know the truth of what I say, and I guarantee you will become a true believer. My journey to standing in the 930 Club before this extraordinarily talented and radiant vision began in late 2011, when I randomly stumbled across her YouTube video for her cover of the theme song from the video game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. There she was, in full costume, whirling and twirling with her violin in hand, while her friend Peter Hollens roared out a one man barbarian chorus. I have followed her religiously ever since. For Lindsey herself, the journey to that stage in DC began in 2010, when she was a contestant on Americas Got Talent as the Hip Hop Violinist. After appearing on the show, her popularity exploded on YouTube with her video Spontaneous Me, and her star continues to rise by the day. Although Ms. Stirling has frequently billed herself as a hip hop violinist or even a dubstep violinist, I have found it difficult to fit her into any currently existing category of music. In all my years of disappointment, of trudging through a desolate wasteland of modern music, I have never encountered anyone quite like her, and I would go so far as to propose a

Ha 2 new category of music, called Lindsey Stirling, and place her in as the sole occupant. She is truly one of a kind, with a quirky, energetic sound that can appeal to any audience. On Wednesday, February 13th, the day I had been looking forward to for a month and a half finally arrived: Lindsey Stirling came back to Washington, DC on tour. I was amazed that she had come back so soon, and that I was fortunate enough to get a ticket before they were all sold out. Of course, there was no cause for celebration just yet; first, I had to actually get there, and that perhaps constitutes a story in itself. Suffice to say that night, rain and clogged highways on the path to the most horribly congested city in America all come together to concoct a potent trifecta of trouble. Looking back on it, I suppose I should count my blessings that I was able to get there at all, much less in a fairly timely fashion, rather than crashing and dying horribly along the way. But then, I would have gladly endured far worse, if only to catch even the slightest glimpse of her. Finally, I arrived at the 930 Club a squat, unremarkable building that I might have driven past a dozen times had I not been specifically looking for it. After a tussle with a newfangled parking meter that was activated by app (whatever happened to just sticking a quarter in the damn thing?) and a show of my ticket to the doorman, I was in. The venue was not exactly what I had expected; then again, seeing as I have had relatively little experience with venues in general, I suppose I had little in the way of expectations to go on. It was dark, and a little cramped (hundreds of Stirlingites were already in attendance, and hundreds more were piling in behind me), and after a while the place began to smell of human sweat. But it was a venue, and she would be there. Nothing else mattered. First up was Lindseys opening act, the Vibrant Sound, a musical duo that combined funk and hip hop, guitar and trumpet in a high energy, eclectic mix. For what its worth, they werent

Ha 3 bad at all, and the crowd certainly seemed to be enjoying them; but, if I may be excused, and meaning no disrespect at all, they werent the reason I ventured out to DC on a cold and rainy night. The Vibrant Sound played for approximately half an hour before taking their leave and surrendering the stage to her. She did not come on immediately though; we had to wait a few more minutes. Time seemed to stretch, and those of us in the audience uncomfortably milled about, impatiently waiting for her to show. I had come this far; could I not wait a little longer? And then she appeared Lindsey Stirling, the whirling diva herself, clad in white and violin at the ready. Two thoughts came to mind as she began to work her magic on the stage: the first, that her voice was oddly more high-pitched than what I remembered, possibly a consequence of the acoustics of the venue; the second, that she was even more beautiful in person than I had thought possible. Lindseys concert was the most fun Ive had in a long while, and her performance ticked off all the boxes. In terms of music, Lindsey brought out almost everything from her self-titled album, opening with an explosive rendition of Stars Align, leading into Spontaneous Me, the song that first catapulted her into superstardom. From the achingly beautiful Song of the Caged Bird to the Thriller-inspired Moon Trance, Lindsey pulled out all the stops and held back nothing for her loyal Stirlingites. She didnt skimp on her covers either, playing almost every cover shes done a video for, and even some she hasnt, like a pleasantly surprising Michael Jackson medley. Other notable standouts included her uplifting version of Rihannas We Found Love, a Legend of Zelda medley, her own version of Good Feeling, and a Phantom of the Opera medley. Sadly, she didnt play Skyrim, but I suppose one cant have it all, and perhaps she didnt wish to spoil us rotten.

Ha 4 Near the end, Lindsey pulled out Transcendence, a song I know is especially dear to her. If Spontaneous Me is a summation of her zany, offbeat personality, then Transcendence is a summation of her life story that success comes from being yourself, and not accepting what others impose on you. Then Lindsey and her backing band disappeared for a bit, returning a few moments later for their encore. I could not identify the first song she played when she returned, but to me it sounded like lonely nights and heartache. Fittingly, she closed out the show with her magnum opus, Crystallize, and retired from the stage to a thundering ovation. While her music in itself is superb, it is simply one half of a whole, with the other half being her delightful dancing. Its almost a crime to listen to her music without actually seeing her move across the stage; watching her in person is how she is meant to be experienced. On this night, Lindsey was her usual high-powered self, leaping, twirling, pirouetting and high-stepping her way across the stage, her feet a blur of constant motion, her dance as expressive as her song. She even threw in a few of her trademark high kicks and her famous bend over backward pose at high points in the show. Her, ahem, flexibility is truly something to behold. Although Lindsey was the one I came to see, it wasnt a one woman show, and her backing band turned in a stellar effort as well. Drew and Gavi, her drummer and keyboardist, formed a solid counterpart to Lindseys violin; at the halfway mark, they even got to have the stage to themselves, playing an impromptu jam while Lindsey switched out her white dress for a Halloween-style costume. Rounding out the performance was Lindseys use of various flairs and visuals, to suitably dramatic effect. Lindsey took full advantage of the jumbo screen on the back wall to play her music videos or even just simple images in time to her songs; I thought this visual accompaniment was a great touch that really added an extra something to the show. A particular

Ha 5 favorite of mine was when she played her music video for Shadows, dancing in sync with her own shadow, much as she did in the video. For me it was a surreal moment, as though the real and the fantastic had blended together into one. Other effects were slightly more mundane but no less dramatic, such as when she abruptly donned a single sequin glove for her Michael Jackson medley. When the time came to close out the show, Ms. Stirling saved the best for last, unleashing a snow effect from the ceiling while she played Crystallize. Its been a few weeks now since the concert, but the memories have not faded. I remember everything with crystal clarity; the music, the sights and sounds. And most of all, I remember her; how she looked, how she moved across that stage. How she held me enthralled with a simple smile and a flourish of her violin bow. The memories of this concert are something I will cherish for years to come, and if she comes back to town, Ill be first in line for the tickets. Should you go to a Lindsey Stirling concert if you have the chance? If the obvious wasnt obvious enough, spelling it out is always an option. My answer is YES. Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times, yes. Shes new. Shes fun. Shes fresh. Shes exciting. Shes amazing. She is extraordinary. I believe, beyond all doubt, that this girl was born to do great things, and already she stands poised to conquer the world.

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The whirling diva herself

The bend over backward pose

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