Posts Tagged ‘concert’

Better Than Ezra at Tysons Corner Center

Summer Concert Series

Personally, this was an exciting assignment for me – covering the 94.7 Fresh Artist Concert Series at Tysons Corner Center. Better than Ezra has been putting out hit singles since I was in college. Their songs had a sound that I identify with that time in my life. I looked forward to hearing them perform live! Before they took the stage, they had a meet and greet with some fans that won the chance to see them and have their photos taken. What I did not know was that all the members of the band have a great sense of humor! The fans that met them up close had a good time with their antics, and they made for some great photos. Visit the Tysons Corner Center Facebook page to see all of them!

Better-Than-Ezra-meet-and-greet-©TimeLine-Media
Better-Than-Ezra-meet-and-greet-©TimeLine-Media

When they took the stage, they did not disappoint! They sounded terrific in the Plaza. With the sound setup, the reverb off the buildings, and the singing from the crowd it was a nice evening of music. I always wonder what songwriters think when they take the stage in front of a crowd of people that have not seen them before, or in an area that they do not visit often, and the audience knows all the words and melodies of a song. This is a composition that started as a unique thought in your head, and through the modern distribution of communication and media, it is now a collective memory over so many!

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Better-Than-Ezra-©TimeLine-Media
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Kevin-Griffin-©TimeLine-Media
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Tom-Drummond-©TimeLine-Media
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Michael-Jerome-BTE-©TimeLine-Media
Better-Than-Ezra-©TimeLine-Media
Better-Than-Ezra-©TimeLine-Media

Better that Ezra played all of their recognizable hits along with their new singles. “A Lifetime”, “Extraordinary”, “Good” – it was awesome to hear live, and I really had to remember to keep taking photos! Two more Fridays will have concerts in the series, so be sure to get your wristbands at Tysons before they are gone!

94.7-Fresh-Artist-Concert-Series-©TimeLine-Media
94.7-Fresh-Artist-Concert-Series-©TimeLine-Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Lindsey Stirling at Tysons Corner Center | Virginia Music Photographer

Like most of her fans, I was introduced to musician / performer Lindsey Stirling from her amazing videos on her YouTube channel. In fact, please go there to play one while viewing this post. To play a violin well is an amazing skill on its own. To do it as effortlessly and technically well as she can while moving her body as much as she does is amazing! She did not miss a note while throwing her whole body into her performance.

The Plaza

All of this as a visual performance was not just for show. She used movement as a way to convey the feeling of the song to the audience. The intensity with which she played the instruments was infections. Additionally, she used her facial expressions to connect with the crowd. Amazingly, she kept the energy up for the entire performance! Even a more mellow song like John Legend’s “All of Me” carried the attention of the Plaza. Concurrently, People were watching and singing with all the focus that they had for her upbeat and louder songs.

Lindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-MediaLindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media Lindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media

94.7-Fresh-Artists-Concert-Seriesr-©TimeLine-Media
94.7-Fresh-Artists-Concert-Seriesr-©TimeLine-Media

It was a great challenge to get good photos of her while performing. She is so fast in her movements, I pushed up my ISO to higher levels so that I could keep the shutter speed from blurring her movements. The organizers of the concert made a nice pit area that I could use to get closer to the performers without disrupting anyone’s view from the audience. The sound setup really blasted out the volume in the bass which really brought the intensity to a new level especially if you only listened to her songs on a computer or smartphone. This made an impact, and makes me want to see her perform again soon!

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Lindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
Lindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media
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Lindsey-Stirling-at-Tysons-Corner-Center-©TimeLine-Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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.

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

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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