Photographs and Review by Christa Rae Settle.
Tiny girls bedazzled in sequin attire holding posters for the headlining act of the evening poured into the Warner Theater accompanied by their parents. All of the girls had excitement sparkling in their eyes, as for many of them, this was to be their first concert. They talked amongst each other, speculating what the set would be like. There was no questioning the love these fans have for 20 year old Bridgit Mendler – star of the hit Disney Channel show Good Luck Charlie and a breakout pop sensation.
Opening her set with “Hurricane,” her latest hit single from her debut album Hello My Name Is…, drove her fans crazy, causing the majority of them to rush the stage. Bridgit shook many of their hands until it got too crowded and unsafe for the little ones. Bridgit worried about the really little girls who were getting lost in the huge crowd and told everyone “let’s have a seat party!” They all returned to their seats looking a bit disappointed but thrilled that they got to shake her hand and be so close to one of their idols. The Warner Theater is definitely not the kind of venue that allows for the crowd to form in front of the stage.
With Washington, D.C. being Bridgit’s hometown, this stop on Bridgit’s summer tour was a special one. She mentioned that she had family members in the audience, as well as old childhood friends she had since she was 2 years old. There were also fans in the audience who had signs reading “I go to Lafayette Elementary School!” which is the elementary school in Washington, D.C. that Bridgit attended until she was 8 years old and moved to California to pursue her career. Bridgit pointed out the signs and the girls who were holding them saying, “I went there! It’s such a good place!”
Bridgit’s powerhouse vocals are unique, and her style of singing is often compared to artists like Karmin, Cher Lloyd and Lily Allen while the music is closely related to Natasha Bedingfield’s sound. Bridgit is very passionate about music and is currently learning how to play the keytar, which she showed off a little bit of what she has learned during one of the songs in her set. Her set contained songs off of her debut album like “Blonde,” “Top of the World,” and “Forgot to Laugh.” Her songs often contain catchy choruses and very sassy rap solos. Bridgit and her band also performed acoustic covers of a couple of her favorite songs, “Starry Eyed” by Ellie Goulding and “Animal” by Neon Trees. I thought these were very bold choices of songs to choose to cover, since they both contain very unique vocals, but Bridgit rocked them. She put so much energy into each song, as she often twirled around the stage and interacted with her bandmates.
During the downtime between songs, Bridgit interacted with the audience. She often pointed out fans in the audience, especially those who had made the most impressive signs to welcome the singer back to her hometown. It was refreshing to see such a down to Earth and talented young star being a very positive role model for her fans who range from the age of 4 years old and up to mid-20 year olds. Many parents have become huge fans of Bridgit as well.
Bridgit Mendler is definitely an artist to watch as she breaks the Disney mold and releases her second debut album.
Bridgit Mendler setlist:
- Hurricane
- Top of the World
- Forgot to Laugh
- City Lights
- All I See is Gold
- 515
- Starry Eyed (Ellie Goulding cover)
- Love Will Tell Us Where To Go
- Animal (Neon Trees cover)
- Blonde
- Rocks At My Window
- Ready Or Not
Alex Aiono
16 year old Alex Aiono hyped up the crowd for Bridgit Mendler’s set with his charm and energy. Alex often interacts with audience members while performing. He will point out girls in the crowd and sing right to them. His hype man even brought out a water gun and sprayed the whole crowd near the end of his set.
Alex is a very musically talented young man. He plays the guitar, piano, drums, bass, and ukulele. However, on this tour he only brought out his guitar for select songs. The rest of the time he sang and danced over tracks that his hype man played. While he is a talented singer and dancer, his set would’ve been better if he showcased his talents on the different instruments he plays. Other than that, Alex is fun and very personable live. Alex describes his songwriting to be “high energy, quirky, and straightforward.” He definitely shows that through his lyrics as well as through his personality and stage presence. Alex Aiono is another artist to watch as he writes his own lyrics and is talented on multiple instruments, but he just has to show that to the crowd to stand out from the rest of the solo teenage boy singers and dancers.
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