SaintSaturn
09-26-2009, 06:47 PM
Miley Cyrus returned to Glendale Arizona for the third time in less than two years to perform for a sold out crowd at Jobing.com arena, the seventh stop on her “Wonder World” Tour. While so much has changed for the 16 year old over this two year period, one thing has remained the same; Miley Cyrus commands the stage and captivates her audience like a seasoned professional.
The times, they are a changing indeed. The Wonder World Tour is the first of its kind to be completely paperless. This system was set in place to provide true fans with a better shot at the most coveted seats in the arena by all together eliminating the scalping issue that plagued Miley’s first headlining tour. Although the entry lines into the arena were a tad longer than usual, the system worked flawlessly. In fact, nearly 200 people waited in the ticket sales line about two hours before the show started. I’m sure they were thrilled to deal with a friendly staff member, rather than the shady scalpers in the parking lot that are always present at regular ticket concerts.
The second noticeable change was the age diversity of the crowd. This was definitely a welcoming change that reflects the shift, or “expansion” as some would argue, in Miley’s core fan base. Of course the 4-7 year old group still showed up in full force armed with their Hannah Montana shirts (and even some “I love you Hannah”signs, seriously), but many of them were replaced by teenagers and even some hardcore fans who just wrapped up their teenage years. In fact, many of the messages on the video screens prior to the show read “Class of 2010 loves Miley Cyrus,” or “Over 18 Miley fans unite!” As soon as the arena became completely full, it was clear that Miley Cyrus truly is a young lady who anyone can be a fan of.
Metrostation accomplished their task of being a successful (but possibly forgettable) opening act. While they were able to get the crowd on their feet and dancing through most of the songs, they delivered an average sounding set. Trace Cyrus was almost always short of breath, and relied heavily upon the “I wanna hear you guys scream!” method to get the crowd riled up. However, he never lost sight of what was really job one; working the crowd into a frenzy for his little sister. “Are you guys ready for Miley Cyrus?!?!”
“Lights out” at a Miley Cyrus concert is one of the most incredible things you will ever be a part of. The surge of adrenaline that fires through your body in those couple of seconds is unforgettable, and will keep you energized throughout the entire performance. This show was no exception. Miley did not waste a single second as she delivered a blistering 19 song set that was sure to please everyone. The traditional concert handbook was definitely not followed as the show played out in an over the top, theatrical manner that left the crowd breathless. Pyrotechnics, elaborate stage props, multiple large video screens and a giant hole in the stage for Miley and her dancers to leap into launches the Wonder World Tour into a new galaxy of awesomeness. Perhaps this explains the video intro for the opening song Breakout….?
Four intense rockers kicked the show off with a high sense of urgency. Start All Over was a fitting second song in the set, as Miley attempted to set her current tour apart from her highly successful Best of Both Worlds Tour. It certainly worked. Although some of the stage props proved to be distracting, Miley and the band were on fire. By the time one of Miley’s new songs Kicking and Screaming rolled along, the capacity crowd at Jobing.com knew they were witnessing something very special. Several very long, high pitched screams from the young star perfectly summed up what the night was all about.
http://i34.tinypic.com/xkzvc8.jpg
Strategically placed to slow things down and showcase Miley’s superb writing talents was the song Bottom of the Ocean. Miley slowly strutted across the stage in an elegant dress, singing from the heart. No flashy lights or over done choreography, this song proved to be one of the highlights of the night. The dramatic build up to the bridge was made even more emotional as Miley jumped backwards into the giant hole in the stage, as images of her sinking to the bottom of the ocean were projected on the video monitors.
Fly on the Wall was a crowd favorite, with an interesting introduction and a stunt towards the end of the song to boot. Clearly the show was playing out like a rollercoaster ride, with the energy in the arena right back to where it started. Let’s Get Crazy and Hoedown Throwdown were fun songs that surely made the younger Hannah Montana fans go insane.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2569v68.jpg
Fans of Miley’s slower ballads were certainly in for a treat as she slowed things down once again with three beautiful and jaw dropping performances. These Four Walls brought Miley and several of her band members to stools set up on the stage extension. It was nice to see Miley and her band so close together, and it resembled a performance you might see at a local coffee shop. After a brief look at Miley’s new movie “The Last Song,” fans were treated to a double dose of new songs, When I Look at You and Obsessed. Miley sitting at the piano with several spotlights on her was definitely the high point of the show.
http://i35.tinypic.com/2h6xesz.jpg
The next four songs in the set were focused on one word and one word only. PARTY. This block of songs had something for everyone. Parents most definitely got a kick out of the Joan Jett cover, I Love Rock and Roll, while younger kids who have never heard the song surely loved seeing Miley fly over the audience on a motorcycle. Party in the USA clearly got the biggest crowd reaction up to that point, with nearly every single remaining sitter on their feet. Although Miley has admitted that this is not the type of music she wants to focus on in the future, she was undoubtedly having a blast performing it. I’m sure seeing many of the moms in attendance moving their hips each night is reason enough embrace this catchy pop tune.
http://i37.tinypic.com/532srl.jpg
Wake Up America provided one of few opportunities of the night for Miley to interact with the audience. “I’m sure you have heard people say that one person can’t make a difference, or that you are too young to have an impact, but all of you guys together can change the world. That’s why I wrote this song.” Once again Miley belted out this rallying cry with a sense of urgency, as pictures of pollution were projected on the monitors. As the song wrapped up, these harsh realities were replaced with beautiful shots of scenery, the world that we all share and need to work together to protect.
http://i33.tinypic.com/etibzp.jpg
See You Again kicked off the encore and still sounded fresh after all this time, proving itself worthy as a “classic.” Is it possible for a 16 year old to have a classic? Everybody in the arena who helped Miley sing the chorus would answer “yes” in a heartbeat. As the music came to a halt and all the dancers had left by back- flipping into the hole in the stage, the opening notes of the year’s most popular song filled the arena. The Climb was beautifully done, with Miley’s voice still sounding sharp after 18 non-stop songs. Miley’s trademark head banging was definitely present as she lost herself in the power of the music. This was what many of the fans were waiting for, and Miley sent them all home ecstatic.
The times, they are a changing indeed. The Wonder World Tour is the first of its kind to be completely paperless. This system was set in place to provide true fans with a better shot at the most coveted seats in the arena by all together eliminating the scalping issue that plagued Miley’s first headlining tour. Although the entry lines into the arena were a tad longer than usual, the system worked flawlessly. In fact, nearly 200 people waited in the ticket sales line about two hours before the show started. I’m sure they were thrilled to deal with a friendly staff member, rather than the shady scalpers in the parking lot that are always present at regular ticket concerts.
The second noticeable change was the age diversity of the crowd. This was definitely a welcoming change that reflects the shift, or “expansion” as some would argue, in Miley’s core fan base. Of course the 4-7 year old group still showed up in full force armed with their Hannah Montana shirts (and even some “I love you Hannah”signs, seriously), but many of them were replaced by teenagers and even some hardcore fans who just wrapped up their teenage years. In fact, many of the messages on the video screens prior to the show read “Class of 2010 loves Miley Cyrus,” or “Over 18 Miley fans unite!” As soon as the arena became completely full, it was clear that Miley Cyrus truly is a young lady who anyone can be a fan of.
Metrostation accomplished their task of being a successful (but possibly forgettable) opening act. While they were able to get the crowd on their feet and dancing through most of the songs, they delivered an average sounding set. Trace Cyrus was almost always short of breath, and relied heavily upon the “I wanna hear you guys scream!” method to get the crowd riled up. However, he never lost sight of what was really job one; working the crowd into a frenzy for his little sister. “Are you guys ready for Miley Cyrus?!?!”
“Lights out” at a Miley Cyrus concert is one of the most incredible things you will ever be a part of. The surge of adrenaline that fires through your body in those couple of seconds is unforgettable, and will keep you energized throughout the entire performance. This show was no exception. Miley did not waste a single second as she delivered a blistering 19 song set that was sure to please everyone. The traditional concert handbook was definitely not followed as the show played out in an over the top, theatrical manner that left the crowd breathless. Pyrotechnics, elaborate stage props, multiple large video screens and a giant hole in the stage for Miley and her dancers to leap into launches the Wonder World Tour into a new galaxy of awesomeness. Perhaps this explains the video intro for the opening song Breakout….?
Four intense rockers kicked the show off with a high sense of urgency. Start All Over was a fitting second song in the set, as Miley attempted to set her current tour apart from her highly successful Best of Both Worlds Tour. It certainly worked. Although some of the stage props proved to be distracting, Miley and the band were on fire. By the time one of Miley’s new songs Kicking and Screaming rolled along, the capacity crowd at Jobing.com knew they were witnessing something very special. Several very long, high pitched screams from the young star perfectly summed up what the night was all about.
http://i34.tinypic.com/xkzvc8.jpg
Strategically placed to slow things down and showcase Miley’s superb writing talents was the song Bottom of the Ocean. Miley slowly strutted across the stage in an elegant dress, singing from the heart. No flashy lights or over done choreography, this song proved to be one of the highlights of the night. The dramatic build up to the bridge was made even more emotional as Miley jumped backwards into the giant hole in the stage, as images of her sinking to the bottom of the ocean were projected on the video monitors.
Fly on the Wall was a crowd favorite, with an interesting introduction and a stunt towards the end of the song to boot. Clearly the show was playing out like a rollercoaster ride, with the energy in the arena right back to where it started. Let’s Get Crazy and Hoedown Throwdown were fun songs that surely made the younger Hannah Montana fans go insane.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2569v68.jpg
Fans of Miley’s slower ballads were certainly in for a treat as she slowed things down once again with three beautiful and jaw dropping performances. These Four Walls brought Miley and several of her band members to stools set up on the stage extension. It was nice to see Miley and her band so close together, and it resembled a performance you might see at a local coffee shop. After a brief look at Miley’s new movie “The Last Song,” fans were treated to a double dose of new songs, When I Look at You and Obsessed. Miley sitting at the piano with several spotlights on her was definitely the high point of the show.
http://i35.tinypic.com/2h6xesz.jpg
The next four songs in the set were focused on one word and one word only. PARTY. This block of songs had something for everyone. Parents most definitely got a kick out of the Joan Jett cover, I Love Rock and Roll, while younger kids who have never heard the song surely loved seeing Miley fly over the audience on a motorcycle. Party in the USA clearly got the biggest crowd reaction up to that point, with nearly every single remaining sitter on their feet. Although Miley has admitted that this is not the type of music she wants to focus on in the future, she was undoubtedly having a blast performing it. I’m sure seeing many of the moms in attendance moving their hips each night is reason enough embrace this catchy pop tune.
http://i37.tinypic.com/532srl.jpg
Wake Up America provided one of few opportunities of the night for Miley to interact with the audience. “I’m sure you have heard people say that one person can’t make a difference, or that you are too young to have an impact, but all of you guys together can change the world. That’s why I wrote this song.” Once again Miley belted out this rallying cry with a sense of urgency, as pictures of pollution were projected on the monitors. As the song wrapped up, these harsh realities were replaced with beautiful shots of scenery, the world that we all share and need to work together to protect.
http://i33.tinypic.com/etibzp.jpg
See You Again kicked off the encore and still sounded fresh after all this time, proving itself worthy as a “classic.” Is it possible for a 16 year old to have a classic? Everybody in the arena who helped Miley sing the chorus would answer “yes” in a heartbeat. As the music came to a halt and all the dancers had left by back- flipping into the hole in the stage, the opening notes of the year’s most popular song filled the arena. The Climb was beautifully done, with Miley’s voice still sounding sharp after 18 non-stop songs. Miley’s trademark head banging was definitely present as she lost herself in the power of the music. This was what many of the fans were waiting for, and Miley sent them all home ecstatic.