There was an unusually sugary sweet feel in the Virginia air last night, I mean, so much that it made your teeth kinda hurt.
Reason? Teen pop idols Miranda Cosgrove (that’s iCarly for those not hip to the Nicklodeon TV star) and fellow cutie pie Greyson Chance spent this summer night bouncing around the legendary Wolf Trap stage, and man, did they have their sweet little wide eyed mindblown fans excited for their sugary pop offerings. Such sweet innocent unabashed smiles, from both crowd and performers. Such exhilarating squeals of delight and unconditional adoration from their little fans, many giving it up for the first time. And for her first time, my 9 year old Kelly Lynn seemed legitimately smitten by the presence of a member of the opposite sex, the teen idol of the moment, Mr. Chance. Yes, it was sweetness to the Nthdegree.
And I survived, braving the inevitable onslaught of sugar syrupy dripping teen pop star love, willingly along for the ride, leaving behind my rock and roll stew for some, yes, pop tarts. And mainly because it meant a date with just my youngest daughter, a rarity to be sure in this day of no time for anything. We got a sack of carry-out Chipotle, some cold beverages hard and soft, and snagged a familiar picnic table overlooking the beautiful meadow that sits adjacent to the amphitheater, pretty much exactly the same spot Mimi and I grab for our pre-show dinners there. We dined on massive head-sized burritos & cheesy enchiladas, yummy guacamole and chips, soon becoming gorged on our main course, with only the sugary sweet dessert of Kelly’s teen pop idols to follow.
Truth is, this was really Kelly’s first concert that she could enjoy most of. Her first actual concert was when Ben and I took her to see Green Day last summer (oops) in the 20th row (see above pic before the sky fell), and maybe twenty minutes into their deafeningly loud set replete with F-bombs and unexpected explosions, Kelly’s look of horror told me, “Hey Daddy, we either make another plan here, or call it a night and you get me the hell out of here.” Luckily, we climbed to the top of the lawn where the sound was lighter, the explosions muted, and as the evening sky buffeted the strains of Basket Case and American Idiot, we found a family with similar kid fears way up on the back of the lawn and Kelly finally was able to enjoy herself with her new friend, dancing on the back hill while Daddy and Ben rocked out to Billie Joe and Co.
The newest teen idol boy Greyson Chance went on first, and Kelly seemed legitimately awed, like, “Wow, there he is, this image from TV right there on stage, in front of me, SINGING!!!” Chance’s song’s lyrics were standard fare, but the kid’s voice? Whoaah. Yes, the grizzled concert vet that I am was impressed by the range, the notes he hit, the finesse, this kid smelled like success, if he can just find the right niche to fit into as he gets older. He even rolled a solo piano version of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi, which further impressed. Yes, screams abound for this teenybopper kid with a 1% chance of making it past this tour, but I give him better odds given his pipes. He confided in the crowd that his big break was when Ellen (Degeneres) saw his You Tube video and that started it all. Lucky little SOB, wow.
But Kelly’s face while watching him…that was worth the whole effort of coming, she sitting there smittenly mesmerized, well, as best as she could be with the distraction level at a fever pitch with all the “I love you Greyson/Miranda!” signs, the screaming and the gyrating, jumping little bodies. But when she realized HE was right up there, she was locked in. So cool. Just like a little blonde boy felt 35 years ago when concerts started becoming a major part of his life. I could see her really digging it, the “live show”, and oh, what a thrill that was. It wasn’t TV!!! It was that thrillingly amazing feeling of seeing a live concert. And there was my girl, feeling it.
One huge plus: the band she has is excellent. Evidently (and I learned this in the opening video, so yes, I WAS listening!) they were together before she hired them as her band so they definitely had a chemistry. They really carry the show and Miranda on their shoulders. Their redheaded vocalist was stunning (and not looking 16 yrs old like Miranda so I felt OK about thinking that) and an excellent vocalist, she inevitably carried Miranda a lot, but hey, that’s the plan. Buoy her along, give her good advice, and she will hopefully come into her own. I will say their version of No Doubt’s Just A Girl was very good, a great duet on the main vocals, and a shining moment for both women…uh girls….uh, one woman and girl….oh forget it.
Miranda rolled sugary hit after sugary hit, mostly about first kisses, first big steps in life, and feeling all fuzzy inside from first runs at love, with the most edgy roll being a song co-written by the great Rivers Cuomo from Weezer, called High Maintenance. Hey, not a bad thing to teach little girls from the beginning to hold on loosely, right? Ha. Shut my mouth.
Check out Miranda Cosgrove here.