I didn’t know what to expect as I purchased tickets to attend the Ryan Cabrera concert. I had never been to a “teeny bopper” concert, I had never been to Northern Lights, and I had never heard of the people opening for Cabrera.
As my friend and I pulled into the parking lot around 7 pm, we both gave each other looks of doubt. Hundreds of girls lined the entrances, many wearing nothing but skirts and sleeveless tops in the twenty-degree weather. Since my tickets were will call, I had to wait until all the people with physical tickets got in. Again, we wondered, is this going to be worth it?
As we walked in, my hopes were raised. We were able to get relatively good spots on the floor to see, for entering so late. I could see the stage fine, although my friend and other vertically challenged people had trouble. The first act that opened on time around 7:30 pm was Canadian Kyle Riabko. Riabko is in the mold John Mayer/ Jason Mraz. Wielding his guitar, Riabko clearly demonstrated his skill level, but I found his songs to be lacking. With a little more polish, he may hit it big in the next few years.
A female artist named Aslyn took the stage after a short break. She played the piano, and her music was a mix somewhere between Sheryl Crow and Michelle Branch. One song she sang “493-1023,” was based on her phone number, which I found amusing.
Both artists are coming out with CD’s soon so you may be hearing more about them in the near future. After a lengthy changeover, Cabrera finally came out around 9 pm.
With his spiked blonde hair and all, Cabrera opened with “Let’s Take Our Time.” Cabrera played most of the songs on his CD like “40 Kinds of Sadness,” Goo Goo Doll’s Johnny Rzeznik’s inspired “Illusions,” his tearjerker song “She’s,” and two non-released songs. He finished his first set with the hit, “On the Way Down.” Cabrera came back out shortly after to play his second set, which started with his other hit, “True,” and included “Take it All Away,” and lastly “Exit to Exit.” Interjected throughout the sets were a small dance off with Ryan and other band members, a small drumming solo by Ryan, a rendition of Hanson’s “MMMBop,” and an impersonation of Napolean Dynamite helped keep the performance lively.
The concert ended a little before 10:30 pm. My ears are still ringing from the constant shrieks from the swarm of girls there. But as I walked out of Northern Lights into the parking lot, I couldn’t help but think “Shame On Me” for ever doubting.
