Frankie Orella – FIRST CONCERT EVER

In this First Concert Ever segment, the singer-songwriter, Frankie Orella, talks about the story of her first experience with live music. You can check out the story, after the break.

When I was 9 (early 2000s), my dad took me to my first concert in my hometown of Nashville, TN. Who did I want to see more than anyone in the world? *NSYNC? Britney Spears? Christina Aguilera? Nope. A Beatles tribute band called the Fab Four. I remember being at a birthday party just a week before and some girls asking me who my favorite band was. I said the Beatles without hesitation and got a less than impressed response.

My dad is a Beatles fanatic so their music was often echoing through our home and the oldies station was the only thing we listened to in the car. I fell in love with them and couldn’t understand why they weren’t as popular as *NSYNC.

At this point, I had no clue John Lennon was dead. I don’t think my parents had the heart to tell me… or to tell me these guys were in their late 50s/early 60s.

I would sit on my bed with my purple boom box and listen to “Please Please Me” and imagine what it would be like to see them live. Their melodies completely captivated me, and I was just a little bit obsessed with these 4 Brits who changed the world of music decades before. I digress.

I remember the day of the concert finally arriving, and I couldn’t contain my excitement! I kept looking at the clock and took way too much time to pick out my outfit to go see some old dudes impersonating my beloved Beatles.

The time finally came. We ate dinner somewhere, but honestly, I don’t even remember where. We got to our seats in the auditorium, the lights went down, and they came up.

The iconic guitar part from “I Saw Her Standing There” started and tears literally filled my eyes. It was one of my favorite songs, the first track off of Please Please Me.

The whole show felt completely surreal to me, and I was convinced there was no music that was as good as the Beatles’. Their melodies captivated me in a way that no other music still has to this day.

My favorite moment was when I finally mustered up enough courage to walk down to the front and stand near the stage, only feet from these dudes. I made eye contact with “John” and he smiled back as I lost my mind. They started playing “All My Loving” and it was in that moment I felt like all I wanted to do in life was write and sing songs that would remind people of this iconic band. Melodies that would move people. Words that felt like real life and real conversation.

I got a tie-dye shirt at that show, and I still wear it – two decades later. And obviously, I’m still writing songs. One day if I’m known as “that girl who kinda writes Beatle-y melodies” I won’t be mad about it.

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