My favorite band didn't come to me in the way most people learn of their favorite band. I didn't hear about this band through my friends, online, or through the artists and bands I already listen to. I actually saw LANY live. That's the first time I heard their music and had even heard of them.
The situation is actually kind of a funny one. I was with my friend Dannie who is also on the Wausau Odyssey team. We were going to see Troye Sivan in Milwaukee on February 20th, 2016. Dannie and I had VIP passes so we had to stand in a separate line than the general admission people. We accidentally stood at the front of the line when we got there about a half an hour before the doors opened to the VIP people. We accidentally cut to the front of the line and that was the greatest mistake I've ever made.
Once we were let into the building we realized that we would most likely be front row, and, for lack of a better term, we were hyped. Troye is our favorite, and getting to see him in concert, front row, was one of the greatest moments in my life. But back to my favorite band, we were front row for Troye's concert. First came the openers, LANY. Watching them perform was kinda weird because the lead singer for the band, Paul, might've been drunk. He was drinking onstage and Dannie and I were underage, I didn't know what to think. Toward the end of their set, Paul came off of the stage and stood on the barrier right in front of Dannie to sing to the audience. I'm not saying he was within hand's reach, I'm saying his crotch was front and center on Dannie's face. Here's a link to the picture:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCCDZj3whD1/
Dannie had gone to Troye's concert the night before, and she got to meet Troye in Minneapolis. She talked up LANY and I was genuinely excited to see them perform. They weren't what I was expecting. LANY (pronounced Lay-Nee) is a three piece band who's members include:
- Paul Jason Klein- Lead vocals, keyboard, guitar
- Jake Clifford Goss - Drums, Roland SPD-SX
- Les Priest - Keys, Guitar, Vocals
The genre they play is described as dream pop, electropop, and indie pop. Their music really speaks to me in the sense that their songs are a lot of happy/sad love songs. Troye describes his music as happy/sad music too and I feel like LANY was the perfect opener for his show. Paul talked about Troye during their set. He said, "We played our first live show about a year ago. We never intended for it to get this big but there was a guy at our first show who's been with us through it all. That guy is Troye, he's like our best friend, and he made this possible for us." Troye styles his concerts according to the way he wants them to be, not according to what a record company would want for him. He has his own musical style and LANY fit in perfectly for him. Along Troye's tour, I imagine a lot of his fans saw LANY and were immediately interested in them because this band fits so well with what Troye's style is. In a way, it seems like Troye wanted to introduce his fans to this band he loves, and he did it in the most genuine way he could, he brought LANY on tour with him.
On Tuesday, November 1st and Saturday, November 5th, Troye Sivan and LANY, respectively, are performing concerts in my area that I, sadly, will not have the opportunity to go to. However, I hope the people that do get to go to their concerts enjoy them as much as I did. Being front row to see Troye Sivan and LANY was a life changing experience. I connected with them through their music and through their eye contact. That concert was by far my favorite and I've gained inspiration from it and the people who performed.
You can check out LANY at their website:
And Troye Sivan at his website:
