Gabriela Francesca – DREAM TOUR

In this Dream Tour segment, the pop artist, Gabriela Francesca, lets you know who she would like on her ultimate tour lineup. You can check out the feature, after the break.

My dream tour lineup would be…

MIKA:
MIKA would 100% have to be on this tour lineup. He’s the first name I thought of. Perhaps my biggest musical/artistic inspiration. He’s one-of-a-kind and unmistakeable, from his soaring falsetto to his deeply personal lyrics. His personality and trademark is in everything he does, which makes him a huge role-model for me. I also love that, like me, he writes AND performs his music. His writing is so, so intimate; every song is an intimate peek into his life. He’s one of the only writers that can nail both a uptempo “dance around your room naked” type of song and also a ballad that’ll make you bawl your eyes out.

I also think it’s fantastic that he’s such an outspoken ambassador for the LGBTQ+ community and for general LGBTQ+ pride. I’d want my tour to be full of performers with open hearts and good energy who promote being authentic and proud, and he seems to bring so much joy and love on stage with him when he performs. His stage design is completely killer, too! I’d love to tour with him just to get to see what goes into building the MIKA “world” and how many amazing jackets I’m sure he has backstage. I’d of course also wish with all my heart that he’d invite me on stage to sing something with him. I’m prepared! I know every lyric!

GWEN STEFANI:
I proudly bow to the platinum-blonde-ska-punk Libra queen that is Gwen Stefani. I first heard her incredible voice on a mix CD my cousin made me of No Doubt songs when I was about 9 or 10. I wasn’t really exposed to anything but 70’s folk, salsa and flamenco in my house growing up, so listening to that mix CD on my walkman in my bedroom changed my world. Her voice alone totally captivated me. In my later years, I got into the solo Gwen stuff and became totally obsessed with her style and artistry. Through each of her incarnations in the span of her career, she remains undeniably “Gwen”. She has shown me what it means to be a versatile artist. She’s a chameleon in that way yet still so genuine, and I am so inspired by that.

She’s also THE most captivating live performer I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing live. I got to see her perform at Irvine Meadows last fall before it shut down, and I’ve never been so hype in my life! My boyfriend surprised me and I bawled when we pulled up to the venue and I saw her name on the marquis. I, of course, also cried shamelessly during “Don’t Speak” and “Cool”. I don’t think anybody in the audience took their eyes off her once. Her energy was completely infectious, and she was giving her all in every single song. The energy at the venue was electric, and it was a real trip hearing her perform hit after hit after hit. The best live show I’ve ever been to, hands down. So, so much respect to Gwen and I truly hope I can work with her someday soon.

THE STROKES:
It may not come through in my indie-pop music, but I absolutely adore the Strokes. From almost the first listen, I fell in love. I can remember diving into their discography in my high school dorm room (I went to a boarding school and I was very proud of my cool iHome speaker system) and being so absolutely moved. I’m not exactly sure I can put my finger on why the writing and the sound of the Strokes hit such chords with me, but I know listening to them allows me to wallow endlessly in nostalgia, one of my favorite pastimes. Their sound evokes longing for days, years, lives I haven’t lived yet. Their music really is timeless to me, and it’d be an honor to go on tour with them.

I can remember seeing them live on a whim one night at Madison Square Garden my junior year of high school. My friend and I got tickets on the corner from a scalper (yikes; don’t do it, kids)! I was visiting different colleges at the time, and my heart was telling me to pursue education at a music conservatory, but fear and self-doubt often tried to convince me otherwise. I remember watching the Strokes from nosebleed seats, feeling almost out of my body, and knowing that that was the life I wanted to live. I wouldn’t let fear push me away from my dreams and instead pursue a “regular school”, just to get a “regular job” and live a regular life. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than Madison Square Garden. The Strokes are very, very close to my heart, and I know my teenage self would absolutely flip a shit knowing I was going on tour with them. Hell, my current self would flip a shit too! I just insist they play “Machu Picchu” and “Under Control”.

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