I’ve been a fan of Lana Del Rey for a few years now, ever since watching her self-made video for her song “Video Games.” The vintage footage of drunken celebrities and scenes of California life entangled with shots of Lana made this personal debut almost dream-like. I remember thinking, Who is this girl?
Now that I’m older, I don’t idolize artists like I used to, but there’s something about Lana Del Rey that makes me look at her as if she’s a star. Last week, I was finally able to see her perform at the Sony Centre in Toronto. There were lots of young girls… lots of young, screaming girls. Although a bit rowdy and distracting at times, I couldn’t help but love it and laugh. If I was their age, I’m sure I would’ve been just as excited (and totally rocking a floral headband). I got over it the second I saw the stage set up as it was beautifully decorated with palm trees and candelabras including a large screen playing clips of her visually stunning music videos. The roaring excitement as Lana stepped on the stage made for a nice laugh as well.
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I may be biased as LDR’s albums Born to Die and the Paradise EP have been on consistent rotation for me since 2011, so seeing this show was a big deal. Her music is cinematic with romantic and poetic lyricism, which was all reflected in her performance. She came out wearing high-waisted denim jeans with a tied-up white blouse and her hair in loose waves. Watching Lana sing and move was so sexy and classy that it was almost hypnotic. She performed all of her great songs, including “Born to Die,” “Million Dollar Man,” “Radio,” and “Gods and Monsters,” ending the night off with “National Anthem.” One of my personal highlights was when everyone was singing along to “Ride.” I wasn’t the only one with teary eyes, right…?
Unfortunately, a lot of people haven’t let go of her premature performance on SNL two years ago. Aside from being genuinely impressed with how well she sang, I strongly disagree with a recent argument made that she’s not deserving of her fans. After the first song, “Cola,” and throughout the show, Lana went down to the fans to take pictures and receive small gifts. I was extremely jealous but also surprised at how refreshing it was to see fandom received and given back. Watching her give those small moments to her fans was sweet and really admirable. In anticipation of her third full-length album, Ultraviolence, coming out soon, Lana performed the new single “West Coast,” getting everyone excited for the album’s release on June 17th.
I had such an amazing night; one that I will never forget and one that will go down in the books for sure.
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What are your favourite Lana Del Ray songs? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
