Rixton at the El Rey Theatre

I had the fortune of seeing Rixton perform at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on August 23, 2014 and August 24, 2014.  The first night was much more mellow for me personally. I arrived at the venue about an hour before the doors were set to open. There was already a line around the corner. While waiting for the doors to open I had the pleasure of talking to two women in front of me and their 11 year old daughters. I really enjoy meeting people at concerts and hearing what they like about the band. They had just recently been introduced to Rixton's music and were excited for the show. This was my first time seeing Rixton perform live and I was pretty excited too! I even made this fun little sign for the wait on Rixton contest they were doing for the tour.
After entering the venue I decided to just hang out on the side. I would leave all the front row action for the next night. The show started off with a duo called Michael and Marisa. They have a music style similar to that of Rixton. I thought they were really good. The songs had fun lyrics and melodies. I think the duo had a very good energy about them but I think that their stage presence could be a little more outgoing. I think this will come with time and becoming more comfortable on stage. Each performer has their own style when it comes to presenting themselves on stage.
The next performer was T. Mills. I knew that he was going to be performing but I wasn't that familiar with his music. I had seen the music video for All I Wanna Do but I hadn't heard any of his other songs. I will admit that I was a bit surprised when he started rapping. I had not anticipated the story lines of his other songs. As a 27-year-old woman I was able to enjoy the show. He is a very high energy performer and he is exceptional at engaging the crowd. His songs have a good beat and they get you going. I became a fan after this performance and downloaded some of his songs. However I felt concerned for some of the younger fans in the audience, like the 11-year-old girls I had met earlier. This is not a critique of T. Mills, he has his own style and own fan base. I just think that there could have been some better planning for the show. It was an all ages show. Some people were not aware that T. Mills was going to be there and had they known they could have made different arrangements. Rixton has a different style of music and they do attract a younger fan base than T. Mills. I think this should have been taken into consideration for the tour. But people do have a responsibility to be aware of the shows they go to. I usually know who the opening acts are and try to become familiar with them before I go to a show.

Last but not least was Rixton. Their performance was so amazing! They are so full of life when they perform. I also enjoy how they engage fans through out the whole set. They don't take everything so seriously and they always look like they are having so much fun. The whole audience got a bit of a surprise when they informed us that they would be filming Rixton perform their new single Wait On Me to be used for the music video for the song. It was an amazing experience.

The 2nd night was by far my favorite night. I had VIP tickets and had the pleasure of meeting Rixton before the show. They are such nice guys and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them. For the meet and greet we got to watch them perform a couple of songs and to ask them questions. The boys even got asked to homecoming by some fans. I had asked them "How would you describe your experience on this tour?" They described it in such words as amazing and original. I even got a lovely picture with the boys.
Since I had VIP tickets I was allowed to enter the venue early. This allowed me to get a spot in the front row. Being so close to the stage was a fun experience. I felt that I was able to take in so much more than I was the previous night. I also got some amazing pictures! Having a front row view also allowed me to see more of how the artist engaged fans during their performance.
I really enjoyed T. Mills set the 2nd night. Being more familiar with his music at this point I was able to enjoy it more. He is an excellent performer! He really knows how to bring his music alive for fans. It was nice to see his fans singing along with every line and to see both T. Mills and his fans light up because of this. I think my initial opinion of T. Mills was a bit harsh. But the more I learned the more my opinion began to soften. He seems like a pretty cool guy.
Rixton were phenomenal the 2nd night. They want you to have fun at their shows and do their best to make sure that happens. I love watching them speak to one another in between songs, they are hilarious. Also watching them perform live made me appreciate how each one is so talented with their instruments. I tend to be more of a drums and guitar girl but Danny really blew me away with his skills on the keyboard. You can tell that he works hard and genuinely loves playing the instrument. Charley is amazing at guitar and I loved watching his solos. Lewi is very talented as well. I enjoyed getting to watch him solo a little bit. One of my favorite parts however is when they bring Lewi to the front of the stage and let him have some mic time. Even though he doesn't talk much during the performance he is definitely one of the more vocal members of the group. Whenever I watch interviews he is always very vocal and I love that about him. He is very intelligent and I have not once had trouble understanding his northern accent.

Overall I had an amazing time! I was introduced to some new music and I met some amazing people. This has definitely been the highlight of my year. I look forward to seeing Rixton perform again and I can't wait to hear their album when it comes out later this year. Who knows I may even see T. Mills next time he has a headlining tour. All of the pictures of Rixton featured in this blog are from the 2nd night.