After spending a countless amount of hours at the Orange County fair, thousands of people headed to the Pacific Amphitheater at around 7:30, to see Neon Trees. Taking the stage first was Eastern Conference Champions. As they performed, seats were filling up for the main act. The three person band left the stage after performing a quick, six song set.
It was still a little light out as Neon Trees took the stage at approximately 8-8:30. The band members took their spots, with singer, Tyler Glenn standing with his back to the audience, standing on his tippy toes. Drummer, Elaine Bradley, counted the band in with her drum sticks and they went into “Your Surrender” with Glenn, singing and prancing around the stage. By their second song, “Love and Affection”, Glenn, took his shoes off and threw them to the side of the stage. By doing so, it meant a few things; either one, he was uncomfortable, or two, he was going to go inside the crowd sooner or later. It ended up being sooner. By the middle of the third song, “Calling my Name”, Glenn jumped from the stage onto the barricade and reached out his microphone to fans. Fans grabbed onto his arm and many in the front row were star struck because of how close they were to him.
After performing numerous amounts of songs, Glenn began telling short stories about the inspiration of the song that they were about to perform. After talking about how he was an outcast in high school, the band performed “Farther Down”. After the audience cheered as the song ended, Glenn told another story. It went something like,
“After high school, my girlfriend and I drove up to these mountains. It was pretty late at night and I started noticing something happening to her. Her ears were changing, her hands were getting bigger and hairy,” He paused for emphasis. “And you know what she said to me? She said, ‘Oh, Oh, I want some more’, and you know what I said to her? ‘What are you waiting for? Take a bite… out of my… heart… tonight!’ ”
By then the crowd was going crazy! Most have been standing through the set but as soon as he finished up that sentence, every single person at the Pacific Amphitheater, stood up because they knew what song was next. As he finished up the sentence, Bradley counted the band in again and they went into the bands most popular song, “Animal”, with the crowd overpowering Glenn’s vocals at the chorus.
After, the band performed four encore song’s, they thank the crowd as they left the stage.
After people spent an amazing time at the OC fair, going on rides and eating fried oreo’s, many people experienced their first concert. With the Pacific Amphitheater being only a few feet from the entrance of the OC Fair, and a cheap price for a ticket, there was no reason not to go. For long time fans, they experienced an amazing night, and with Neon Trees performance and Glenn’s stage persona, it wouldn’t be anybody’s last concert.
