A Concert at Park West

Last Saturday I went to see Jesse McCartney in concert at Park West. I am not really a fan of his music, but my friend had an extra ticket, and I never pass down an opportunity to go to a concert. I was not expecting too much out of this concert. I knew maybe three songs of his at most, and I had no idea how the performance would turn out. The concert was surprisingly better than I had previously imagined. We got to the venue an hour and a half before the concert started, and the line to get in was already going around the corner and down a few blocks. From what I could tell the line was mostly made up of younger girls and their parents, with just a few kids my age and older. Of course this made me second guess going to this concert, since I personally did not want to be stuck around young kids and parents the entire night. Park West was a great place to see a performance, even if I was seeing someone who I am not too fond of. Right as you walk in you can see the stage and the seats. No matter where you stood or sat down, you always had a perfect view of the stage. This was a perfect venue, and it made my night a lot better. My friend decided to go to the standing area instead of sitting, so she could try to get in the front row. I personally would have rather sat down, but it turned out standing was just as good. Since we came in so late my friend and I were standing in the last row, but it wasn't that hard to see since the crowd was made up of people younger than us. It was time for the show to start, and the crowd started to chant Jesse McCartney’s name. The lights finally went off and the stage lights went on, so we all knew it was time for the concert, and everyone started to scream. But before Jesse came up to perform, another act called Prima J was up first. I had no idea who the first act was, and by this point I was already ready to leave. The crowd seemed to like the first act, but I did not like them too much. They did have pretty good voices, but it was very awkward to watch. They seemed to be in their Twenties, but the acted like they were fifteen. They wore clothes that didn't seem right for their age, and had songs that applied to a younger crowd, not to people their own age. Of course all of this was perfect for this show, and they got a great reaction from the crowd for the measly ten minutes they played. Soon after the main performer got on stage, and the crowd went wild. Everyone started to push up to get closer to him, and I ended up going from the back row to the third row. Jesse McCartney sang his first song, which I of course did not know. I was very shocked when I heard his voice live; he actually had a great voice! He was also a good performer, and definitely knew how to work a crowd of screaming pre-teens. He would go out and touch the audiences hand a lot, and he even brought a girl on stage with him! Overall Jesse McCartney was a much better performer than I imagined him to be. This tour was to promote his new C.D. that was just recently released. I have heard some of Jesse's old songs, and I have to admit that his songs have definitely improved. Before all of his songs were mostly for an audience of pre-teens. Now that he has grown up, and in his 20's you can really tell he is trying to reach out to an older crowd. It has been working; the first single off of his new album is number one on the charts, and it is actually one of the few songs of his I like. The concert ended at nine, which was a half an hour before it was suppose to finish. Jesse McCartney only sang for an hour, which I would have been disappointed with if I was his fan. Usually main performers play for at least an hour and a half. Right away my friend dragged me outside to where his tour bus was to see if he would come out and take pictures with a few of his fans. He never did come out, which I thought to be a little rude, and my friend was very disappointed. I do have to give Jesse McCartney credit for putting on a great show, and writing songs that are more mature than his previous ones. That night did turn out to be fun, and I was acually glad I went.