Concert Review: P!nk

On Thursday September 17, a large and anxious crowd grew outside the HP Pavilion. Every kind of person imaginable, children, teens, young adults, mothers, and grandmothers, pushed their way through the never ending line to enter the P!nk concert. Some people who were die-hard P!nk fans dyed their hair pink, wore pink tutus, or even long pink eyelashes. Outside, hip-hop radio station 94.9 representatives took pictures of fans coming into the pavilion.

Opening for P!nk was the Ting Tings, notorious for their songs “Shut Up and Let Me Go” and “That’s Not My Name.” Though these British rockers put on a good performance, P!nk rightfully stole the show. She descended from mid stage for her grand entrance, singing one of her newest songs. Her tour, named Dollhouse, had an appropriately decked out stage with slides and clown balloons, creating the mood of a dark, scary dollhouse.  All of her backup dancers were dressed as sinister dolls who danced in perfect unison with her.

To keep things interesting, P!nk made eight costume changes, from body suits and band jackets to baggy jeans and lingerie. She was not the only thing changing though, for her stage furniture changed four times to reflect the song she was preparing to sing.

P!nk’s dancers surprised all with some amazing acrobatic tricks like swinging on bars in mid air and twisting through cloth. The tricks kept everyone’s hearts racing and voices screaming as the music penetrated their bodies. The music she sang not only consisted of her own, but also included Crazy by Gnarls Barkley and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Finally, for her encore, she sang “Get the Party Started,” a classic song from her first CD M!ssundaztood. The concert ended around 10:45 pm, giving fans a generous three-hour show. Most people seemed to have an amazing, unforgettable time that was well worth the late Thursday night. P!nk is now off to her next destination, Texas. Hopefully all other performances will be as appreciated as her San Jose performance was.

Jonas Brothers World Tour

The only thing better than a Jonas Brothers concert is…well, nothing really!  This world-famous band made a stop at the HP Pavilion August 3 on their first ever world tour.  Pulling out all the stops, this concert featured a rotating in-the-round stage and intense effects which kept the crowd excited and energized for hours.  With opening acts like Honor Society and Jordin Sparks, as well as the Wondergirls from Korea, fans were treated to an amazing show even before their idols came onstage.

Opening with their hit single “Paranoid,” the brothers played all of their old favorites as well as songs from their new album Lines, Vines, and Trying Times, which was released in June.  New effects included an enormous water screen which rained from the ceiling and a trampoline stretched across the stage on which Kevin performed a flip with his guitar.  A giant disco ball made an appearance during “Much Better,” and Joe and Kevin sprayed the audience with foam while Nick sang at the piano.

Typical Jonas attire was sported; the fashionable rock-star preppy style kept them looking classy.  And yes, the skinny jeans are back.  Kevin also donned a raincoat for his trip under the water screen.

There seemed to be less audience interaction in this tour as the Jonas Brothers focused on running through dozens of numbers with new effects and video screens, which ran the “When You Look Me in the Eyes” music video during the song, as well as special images that enhanced songs like “Poison Ivy.”  However, Nick did tell the audience “You are my inspiration” during his performance of “A Little Bit Longer.”

This highly anticipated concert definitely lived up to expectations; just ask any of the screaming girls.  Personally, I enjoyed their previous concert because of the outdoor aspect and enthusiastic audience, but the world tour was by no means short of excellent.  From the amazing effects to the beautiful “A Little Bit Longer”/ “Black Keys” medley and the Jonas Brothers’ own rendition of “Sweet Caroline,” every second was exciting and memorable.

The Jonas Brothers continue to deliver family-friendly performances as they have always done.  Although the brothers recently hosted the Teen Choice Awards, the concert was totally appropriate with a complete absence of pole-dancing, unlike other Disney channel stars (need we say Miley Cyrus?).

When “Burnin’ Up” was performed as the grand finale, everyone was sorry to see the concert end.  Once again the Jonas Brothers have managed to deliver a talented and spectacular performance for all their fans.  I couldn’t have wished for a better way to end my summer, but maybe next time I can win the meet and greet passes!