Summer nights

If there is one thing summer nights were meant for, it's concerts. With the warm night air on your face and the thrilling energy of 15,000 people packed into one massive stadium, summer concerts are the best of the year. When Lily, Maisie and I heard that Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes were coming into town, we had to buy tickets. So last night we all piled into a car and made our way to the Hollywood bowl. Of course, parking in the lot would have been too mainstream so we decided to find the most remote space we could. After driving in circles for what felt like hours and a rather tense moment between Lily and her mom (Ellen), we finally found a secluded side street on which to park. Naturally, we got lost trying to find our way back to the bowl and by the time we got there with our picnic baskets, the opening acts had already started. Ellen's friend, Sam, met us on the picnic terrace and we all had a lovely meal and took a couple photos before entering the theatre for the concert.

(ootn: dress - Gap | flower crown - SerenityCrystal)

It was around 9:00 when the concert actually started, but the show was every bit worth the long wait. Alexander was so oddly charming (and very cute) and Jade was simply adorable. They sang and danced their way through the audience, grabbing patrons and giving them the mic or spinning them around. They opened with Man on Fire which was so lovely and proceeded to do numbers such as 40 day dream and Better days. Alexander sang a beautiful ballad to Jade, and by the end she and half the audience were in tears. And of course, what Edward Sharpe concert would be complete without Home? They chose to sing their most famous song as their grand finale. As soon as the whistling started, the entire audience erupted into cheers. And the band was drowned out by the masses singing along. "Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa. Not the way that I do love you..." I can safely say that it was one of the most charming and awe inspiring things I've ever seen. 

(a polaroid taken by Maisie)

But perhaps the most exciting part of the evening happened as we were exiting the stadium. We were slowly making our way downhill when Maisie whispered to me "turn around." Curious to see what she was so anxious about, I quickly glanced behind my shoulder and HOLY HOLY HOLY HOLY! Less than a foot behind me was the beautiful, stunning, talented ZACHARY QUINTO*!! Out of the thousands of people at that concert, I ended up sharing air with my favorite actor. Needless to say, I freaked out. But Maisie and I decided not to approach him or ask for a photo as he was with his friends and it would have been invasive. No matter how fabulous he is, he is still just a person like you or me. 

The thing about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes is that they're so happy. There is so much joy radiating from their music. I'd like to be more like that. I'd like to not care what others think or say, I'd like to just be happy. To dance barefoot with strangers and love as freely as Jade and Alexander do. And by realizing this desire, I'm already half way there. 

*For those who don't know Zachary Quinto is the actor who portrays Spock in the Star Trek reboots and Sylar in Heroes. In addition to being a wonderful actor, he also does fantastic charity work. He's pretty great.

♡