The other night I traveled over 500 miles (round trip) to Charlotte to see my avatar, the lovely Lana Del Rey, in concert for the first time. Seeing her was bucket list item of mine, as I’ve been a fan of hers since 2012, but never got a chance to see her previously. I bought a ticket months ago, when I sold one of my cars. The concert started at 8:00, when her opening act, Kali Uchis, played a 45-minute set. After an intermission, Lana’s backing band and supporting dancers took the stage at 9:15 and she walked on a minute or two later. Performing songs throughout her discography, she was fantastic, and full of a confidence that allegedly eluded her in her early years.
My favorite moment was when she did a requested a cappella verse from her song “Heroin”, and started laughing when her fans recited the bridge. She was truly enjoying herself up there. Her set lasted about 1:45, ending around 11:00. From a technical standpoint, the band sounded good and the set was very animated, with beach visuals in the background and floor of the stage. She addressed the crowd several times between songs, as if she was speaking to friends. The set had an intermission where she went up to the first row of the crowd, taking gifts, signing albums, and taking selfies with fans. Her last song, “Off To The Races”, continued after she left the stage, ending in an instrumental jam similar to the song “Drown” by the Smashing Pumpkins. If she’s coming to your area and you can afford a ticket, I highly recommend you see her.