Last night I attended a Within Temptation concert in Baltimore. One of my favorite bands is touring the US again and are visiting locally? Yes please.
I was worried for a minute because all of my immediate go-to people for this show couldn't make it. I had to twist The Boy's arm a bit but after I played him some stuff, he was looking forward to it. Of course he got sick this weekend and I wasn't sure he'd be well enough to go. He swore he was so off to B'more to bang our heads.
I was in the merch line when the opener, Amaranthe, started and I realized two things: 1) These guys are awesome and 2) I'm too old to stand right next to a speaker. They're classified as power metal and had a great sound. I'd never heard a metal band that had a normal woman, normal man, and scream guy as vocalists. It was cool.
I was getting tired and starting to fade before Within Temptation. The second they came on the stage my energy level shot up and I was rocking out. The Boy and I had never been to a concert together before. He didn't realize I tend to enjoy them with my entire body. Who needs the gym when you can go to a concert?
Within Temptation is such a great band to watch. I love their stage presence. All of the guitar players moved around. Sharon (the lead singer) jumps and dance and twists her arm like a belly dancer during the slow numbers. The way she moves is just fantastic.
They also do a great job about connecting with their audience. You could see the different musicians and Sharon react and make eye contact with the folks in the audience. The crowd fed off their energy and they fed of the crowd's energy. There was no area they didn't perform to. They all move around the stage and acknowledged the entire audience.
Toward the end The Boy started to feel tired and achey. He told me the guitarist was making eyes at him like "Are you having a good time man?" Watching The Boy try to the rock out sign was hilarious.
I definitely felt like I connect to different members of the band more than a few times. It's one of my favorite things about Within Temptation's live shows but I think I had a few things that helped.
Ways to get the band to notice you at a metal concert:
Headbang
If you're like me and have trouble head banging, pull a Willow Smith and whip your hair around. It puts on a good show minus some dizziness.
Wear white
Everyone was wearing black including The Boy. I stood out in my white Doctor Who villain dress.
Have a better time than the people next to you
Since The Boy wasn't feeling well and I'd gotten up rather early, we opted to pay extra to get on the third level that overlooks the stage. My neighbors were there and I was rocking out like I was on the floor.
Have the time of your life
I never stopped moving. During Summertime Sadness I shimmied my hips and I maintain Sharon responded by doing so as well. She also did a reach for me during one of their slower numbers. I know one guitarist appreciated me doing my sorta head bang. They did similar stuff for one guy in the second level who was rocking out just as hard as I was.
Music: Let Us Burn by Within Temptation
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