Ariel Beesley – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the alternative artist, Ariel Beesley, talks about her first concert ever. You can check out the feature, after the break.

Growing up in Los Angeles, I spent much of my time at concerts. Now that I am older, it has dawned on me just how lucky I was. But as a kid growing up in the San Fernando Valley, (the great 818), seeing live shows was very regular. A lot of my teen years were spent sneaking into venues I wasn’t old enough to be in, discovering shows in gross alleyways downtown, and running around moshpits with my friends. The bruises we got from them were our battle wounds, to relive the weekend. But my love of concerts all started with one. When I was 8 years old, my mom and stepdad took me to see, the one and only- PRINCE.

It was a stadium arena, and there is one image ingrained in my brain from that night. I remember a very large, velvet, purple couch. As a kid, it seemed to be the size of the stage. Looking back, everything is bigger when you’re small. So it might very well have been a regular sized couch. That being said, Prince was larger than life, so I’d like to think my memory is accurate. The curtains opened and it was completely silent. Sitting dead center in the middle of the couch was a man. He was sitting, his legs crossed one over the other, but his face was covered by an opened magazine, with Prince’s face on the cover. All of a sudden the man slams the pages shut, only to reveal Prince himself. He went right into “Purple Rain.”

I remember thinking that Prince was not just a performer, but a true showman. He had this way of being masculine and feminine at the same time, that as a child, was unlike anything I had ever seen. His outfits were extravagant and the music seemed to cover all genres. He had a charisma that transcended reality. That night he took everyone in that arena to a different world. I remember thinking that I was the only kid in the whole stadium, and for that, I will always be grateful to my mom and stepdad. They introduced me not only to Prince, but to the power of a truly amazing show. From then on I’ve been addicted. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A concert is a very special thing. It gives the musician the unique opportunity to connect with an audience, to truly portray the emotions in the song in which they’re performing. And isn’t that what music is all about? Connecting with people and making them feel less alone? I sure as hell know that’s what I want from my music. And I cannot wait for the opportunity to do so, live. Thanks, mom and David, and thanks to Prince. Best first show ever.

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