Posts Tagged ‘Apollo’

Apollo 50

Crowd watching the "Go For the Moon" show at the Apollo 50 festival in Washington, DC ©TimeLine Media
Crowd watching the “Go For the Moon” show at the Apollo 50 festival in Washington, DC ©TimeLine Media

Washington, DC

Last year, the Apollo 50 Festival was held on the National Mall in Washington, DC. At this time, the National Air and Space Museum produced this event. It was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Since I can remember, my dad fostered an interest in the space program. With this in mind, I thoroughly studied the vehicles used to send people into space. However, I have never seen a rocket launch live.

Projection of the Saturn V rocket of Apollo 11 on the Washington Monument ©TimeLine Media
Projection of the Saturn V rocket of Apollo 11 on the Washington Monument ©TimeLine Media

Last summer, we made it out to the Mall to see the ‘Go For the Moon’ show. A projection was sent onto a side of the Washington Monument. Being that I was a STEM student throughout my academic career, I was inspired by the crowd that gathered out there that summer night. NASA and the space program was the impetus for so many to get into the sciences. For those that have not seen an American rocket launch, this was a great demonstration. Pairing it with inspiring words from JFK, a soaring musical soundtrack, and the projection of the Saturn V rocket would probably inspire another generation to continue space exploration now!

Apollo 50 Festival with the Saturn V rocket projected on the Washington Monument ©TimeLIne Media
Apollo 50 Festival with the Saturn V rocket projected on the Washington Monument ©TimeLIne Media

AJ Smith Performs at Tysons Corner Center | Music Photographer

The Fresh Artists Concert Series at Tysons Corner Center is really heating up! Although all the concerts are free, there is a limited amount of people that can be on the plaza at one time, so you need to get wristbands to assure entrance to the area. Last Friday’s concert was out of wristbands an hour after the mall opened, so you need to get there early! There were two performers on the marquee that night, AJ Smith & the Apollo as well as Lindsey Stirling.

The Plaza

94.7 Fresh Artists Concert Series At Tysons Corner Center - ©TimeLine Media
94.7 Fresh Artists Concert Series At Tysons Corner Center – ©TimeLine Media
94.7 Fresh Artists Concert Series At Tysons Corner Center - ©TimeLine Media
94.7 Fresh Artists Concert Series At Tysons Corner Center – ©TimeLine Media


AJ and his band really got the excitement level up early! He is a very talented musician providing the lead vocals for all the songs while playing the keyboards, guitar, or violin depending on the song. Singing his original compositions with so much energy really brought the crowd into the performance. His songwriting skill was on display giving us songs that are easy on the ear, but not so repetitive that they sound like they were spit out of a sequencer. There were changes in tempo, in counts, and they had nice vocal or instrumental pieces that kept your interest as the songs progressed.

AJ_Smith-performs-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
AJ_Smith-performs-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Concert-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Concert-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Concert-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Performers-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Concert-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
Concert-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media


His band also matched his effort with their energy and talent. It can be tough to really keep that level up for an entire set, but this band did it so well. The response from the crowd was amazing! The crowded plaza was clapping, dancing, and singing along by the end of their set. “Dragons in the Sky” has a singable vocal line that everyone was singing by the end! It was a great way to spend a beautiful Friday evening. There will be another concert this Friday, so check the Tysons Corner Center website for details!

AJ_Smith-performs-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media
AJ_Smith-performs-at-Tysons-Corner-©TimeLine-Media

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