Elanese – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the pop artist, Elanese, talks about the story of her first experience with live music. You can check out the story, after the break.

The first artist I ever saw in concert was Christina Aguilera. My mom took me to see her when she was on her “Back to Basics” album tour. I was 11 years old, and I had memorized the entire Back to Basics album by heart. My mom was always surprising me with CD’s growing up, which is how I originally got into singing. Out of all of the albums my mom had gotten me, Back To Basics was my favorite to sing. I was born in New York in 1995, and the way the album managed to blend the old school hip hop beats I was used to with powerhouse vocals was magic to my ears. I remember belting every single song in my bedroom and wanting to sound exactly like her. She became my idol. When my mom surprised me with tickets to see her I was so excited I had planned my outfit a few days prior.

The seats actually weren’t the best. She was performing at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. It was just my mom and I sitting on the left side of the stage. We were only a few rows up, and I would’ve rather been sitting facing center stage, but I was just happy to be in the same room as her. My recollection might be a bit biased due to my love for her, but until this day, I would describe it as one of the best shows I’ve ever seen simply because of Christina’s vocals. She did not miss a single note. Everyone who has listened to Christina knows her tone could overpower football stadiums, let alone the speakers at the BB&T Center. The colors and lighting were fantastic, and the show was circus-themed so it almost felt kid-like, even though the show was anything but. The most memorable aspect of the show I would say was her portrayal of feminine sexuality. Of course, I was only 11 years old and it definitely wasn’t my mom’s expectation, but the element was there nonetheless. I remember admiring her even more. She looked beautiful, strong, and in control. There was a part of the show where she invited a male audience member up on stage and attached him to a huge vintage knife-throwing wheel. After his arms were tied and he was for the most part immobile, she proceeded to perform a sort of PG-13-esque striptease. The crowd went wild, the guy was blushing nonstop, and I dreamed I would one day look as powerful as she did on stage. I believe that this experience shaped a lot of who I am as an artist. I’m all about female empowerment and blending R&B melodies with different genres of music. I couldn’t have picked a better first concert experience.

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