Beauty in the Breakdown

I'm broke.

That's only partially true. But this summer is slowly taking all my money, seducing me with the glory of concerts. Yes, concerts. I'm hemorrhaging my hard-earned mula in increments of twelve to forty bucks at a time, all in the name of a supreme musical experience.

I think it's worth it.

Mostly, at least. The Summer Concert Season (patent pending?) officially kicked off two and a half weeks ago. Here's the rundown of the biggest names so far.

• The Black Keys: Great!
• MGMT: Worst ever.
• Imogen Heap: WIN WIN WIN VICTORY AMAZING SO GOOD FANTASTIC.

I love the Black Keys, and their show last year is easily in my top three concert experiences. This year, while not quite as epic, was still mind-blowing. It was my first time at The Depot, the white whale of my musical past, plus I got Dan's set list at the end, so score for me. And let's just say, both Patrick's and Dan's swoon factor has increased by about 10,000% since last year. Sigh.



MGMT made me very angry. So angry I'm not sullying my blog with their image. So very, very angry. Let's leave it at that.

But on to the glorious Imogen!

Remember my musings about girl crushes? Imogen Heap is now a part of that elite group. She might even be taking over the list. She is ... the words truly incredible don't seem to capture all her beauty. I've never seen someone so professional, so likable, and so dedicated to really putting on a great show, purely for the sake of her fans.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Slinker

She was the first one on stage, introducing her openers personally. She was a constant presence. She created this wonderful community of musicians, through her opening acts/back-up band. And then, she played a SOLID two hour set, a set that was full of favorites. Musicians all over, take a hint from Imogen. Honestly, this concert has sky-rocketed towards being one of my favorite things ever.

Next up? Portugal. The Man tomorrow, then Rooney, Modest Mouse, Girl Talk and freakin' PAUL McCARTNEY!

The only way to describe this summer, and I say this knowing the word is overused but really applicable in this case? EPIC.