Getting Better With Time

BY: Lauren Miller

Last night (June 23rd) was my 3rd time seeing the lovely Demi Lovato in concert. She played at the Hershey Park Star Pavilion (which, by the way is a cute little outdoor venue). This was her 5th time (if I counted right) playing in Hershey.

For those who don't know, Demi got her start on the Disney Channel playing along side the Jonas Brothers in Camp Rock. She soon became a household name among the teen set coming out with albums, a tv show, Disney Channel original movies, and touring. That all came crashing down about a year and a half ago when she was sent to rehab to deal with issues of bulimea, anorexia, and cutting. For some young stars this can be the end of the road for their career and a one way ticket back to normal life. But Demi came back swinging with a new album, two tours, and a judging spot on The X Factor.

Ok, enough with the background story. Back to the current tour.

I never expect anything less than brilliance from Demi's performances. I really truely believe that she is one of the best female voices of our generation, not to mention she's an amazing song writer and she plays guitar and piano like a champ. But something that last night had that her previous performances I had seen didn't have was simplicity. The previous two tours I saw her on (the Camp Rock tour with the Jonas Brothers, and her Special Night with Demi tour) were very visually awesome- meaning there was a good deal of effort put into sets and outfits and choreography and anything else involved in the visual performance aspects of a concert. Last night there were no costume changes, no true choreographed dance moves, and a simple set. It was just Demi (and her band) on stage performing her songs. It honestly was one of the most intimate feeling shows and I feel like that by seeing her perform in this very simple way that I got to see her most true self and in turn became more connected to her as a peformer.

I also really enjoyed how candid she was with the inbetween chats. She flubbed the one time & forgot what she was going to say. Then she fell during a song and joked about it being her new move and that everyone should try it. I think these little imperfections made her show perfect. I really did get the vibe that she was trying to connect with her fans. I think she realizes that her struggles and the way that she has been so open and honest in sharing her struggles she is helping a whole generation of kids who are dealing with the same things she is. I think that is what makes her a powerful pop star, celebrity, and human.

If you get a chance definitely check out Demi on tour this summer. Check out her Facebook www.facebook.com/demilovato for tour dates and info.

I know that normally I have like 50,000 pictures to share from my concert experiences, but I don't know if it was the goosebumps from her performance or if I was just having a terrible photography night, but like 95% of my pictures came out as absolute crap so I'm just going to share a few of them. Hopefully next time I can get some better pictures of Demi.