When OneRepublic is in town, it is a must to see them live. This Thursday, August 31st, OneRepublic played a show in Los Angeles at The Forum for their Honda Civic Tour, and of course we were there to experience it all. Let me just say one word: amazing.
The show opened with the singer-songwriter, James Arthur, who won the X Factor in 2012. He played around a 30-minute set, with hits like “Impossible” and “Say You Won’t Let Go.” He certainly has the X-Factor.
Following James Arthur was the Los Angeles native band, The Fitz and The Tantrums. They sure know how to hype up a crowd! From their outfit(z) to their dance moves, we were totally digging their almost hour-long set.
Their energy was magnetic and everyone was standing up and loving every minute. Our favorite songs were “HandClap” and “The Walker” and “Out of My League.” The crowd loved them and so did we!
Around 9:30 p.m., OneRepublic finally set foot on stage and we were so ready to hear them sing some of our favorites. They began the show with their hit “Stop and Stare.” They also sang our other favorites, “Secrets,” “Good Life,” “Kids” and of course “Apologize” and “Counting Stars.”
But I think their most powerful performance was their song “Better,” where the lines “Think I lost my mind. But don’t worry about me. Happens all the time. In the Morning, I’ll be better” really do speak to a lot of us. The band certainly put their energy and soul into this song.
During the concert, Ryan Tedder, the vocalist, spoke to us about the band’s success and how their long-hours of work and being away from home, caused them to hit a “wall,” as he said, and be completely exhausted to the point where they did not want to continue doing what they do. And from this, he said they wanted to do something different on this tour. So, he sang songs he has written for other artists. This included “Halo” by Beyoncé and “Rumor Has It” by Adele. Just incredible.
This concert was one to remember. I was dancing and singing along to some of my all-time favorite songs. Next time OneRepublic is in town, I will be there again.
Photo Courtesy by Gloria Villalobos