A girl who wants to do something for the first time, often, so she will!
"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." -iban Battuta
Kendrick Lamar! My oh my! What a brilliant, thought provoking, world changing artist! Of course he'd be the 1st musician I'd see perform at a huge stadium!
I was at home listening to the DAMN. album - in awe of K Dot's musical genius - and decided to look on Ticketmaster to see if he was coming to Washington state soon. To my surprise I saw tickets for his appearance at the Tacoma Dome in August with Travis Scott and D.R.A.M. as the openers! With absolutely no hesitation I purchased a ticket. Even though the concert was 4 months from my purchase date my anticipation never diminished. Every day I listened to his more senior albums: Section .80, good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp a Butterfly (released just 2 years ago) to bring the lyrics to the front of my mind. Doing so made me recall many situations in my life growing up in California. Hands down one of my favorite artists. Fast forward to the day of the concert. I was at work, talking with a friend of mine who'd come to share her beautiful baby with co-workers, and I mentioned that I was very excited to attend the Kendrick Lamar concert later in the evening. Surprisingly, a different friend/co-worker who was enjoying my friend's bundle of joy, mentioned that she was also going to the concert! She and her daughter went all out and bought VIP tickets! We made plans to meet up at the Tacoma Dome and went about our day. All day all I could do was picture what it would be like to be in a sea of people, all gathered to listen to Kung Fu Kenny's stellar music. In my head I planned what I would wear; jewelry and all, and applauded myself for my ability to step out of my comfort zone and do many activities solo. I figured that if I could travel internationally alone I could drive 30 minutes from my house and see one of my favorite artists "alone". Getting ready for the concert was so much fun. I blasted my music while I applied my makeup and fluffed my golden curls. The drive was a breeze and so was parking. As I entered the stadium I could hear D.R.A.M. singing one of my favorite songs, "I think you're cute, I think you're cute. Oh, yes I do. I think you're cute". I couldn't contain myself! The amount of people, the bass vibrating through my body...nothing like I'd ever experienced. I found my seat and immediately regretted not grabbing a beer or two. People around me were having so much fun. Snapping stories and taking pics. Although I didn't know anyone seated next to me, the music brought us together. After D.R.A.M. and Travis Scott performed and I caught a serious secondhand high, my friend/co-worker called me to say she made it. I parted through crowds of people to meet her and made my way to the VIP area. THE PLUG!! I can't explain the emotions I felt when Kendrick graced the stage. He came out so amped but so calm and cool and ready to give his all. His outfit was on point, his two steps were impeccable and the effects were a sight to see! I jumped onto a chair just 4 rows away from the stage and began to belt out the lyrics to DNA. Little did I know I'd keep up this energy the entire concert, with a little more pep when he performed GOD, and I'd have no voice the next day. Thank God I had the following day off! He performed some of my favorites: Collard Greens, Swimming Pools, King Kunta, Alright, m.A.A.d city, Loyalty, Love and Humble to name a few. There's nothing like screaming lyrics to your favorite song and realizing someone is watching you turn up so you move close to share the moment; I made a few friends that night. My friend/co-worker and her daughter were amped too. I love how music creates comradery! Of course during one of his slower songs he had us turn the flashlight on our cell phones on. The stadium lit up and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was beautiful. I didn't want it to end. But as all things do, the concert ended. Getting out of the building and to my car wasn't that bad. Getting out of the parking lot and to the freeway was a total nightmare. I believe I was in the parking lot for 1.5 hours trying to get out. I made it home safe, posted some pics on Instagram and then passed out. I rode the high from that concert for days. It inspired me to vow to go to at least 2 concerts/year. Thank you, Kendrick Lamar. Way to put on a show. I'll never forget it.
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