Owl City - Thursday September 8th 2011 - Manchester Academy Two

Ok, so I went to an Owl City concert a few weeks ago. It's probably not something I would have done on my own, but my friend Becky loves him and when she asked if I was coming I said yes, because even if it isn't someone I'm really enthusiastic about it's a concert, still, and I owe it to her because of coming to Imogen Heap with me when nobody else would/could.

This was my first time at Manchester Academy Two (though not One) and I feel like I should mention how nice it smelt... at the start.

Owl City - or Adam Young - makes pop-y, quite electronic and definitely unique music, songs about animals and love and the universe and often quite everyday situations. You've probably heard of him because of his hit song "Fireflies" from 2009, but he's sort of more than that. All I've really heard is his album "Ocean Eyes", since then he's released "All Things Bright and Beautiful".

I haven't really managed to form an intelligent opinion of Owl City's music yet - it's definitely catchy, and although the lyrics aren't the deepest they're definitely interesting. The only thing I dislike is that it contains some of the stereotypes of "electronica", which I feel like I often ending up arguing Frou Frou and Back Ted N-Ted out of. It's sometimes cold, and at times doesn't sound like it stemmed from a sound that was ever natural.

On stage, he was undeniably the most cheerful human being I've ever seen. He wore a fluffy lion hat his support act had also adopted, and opened the show saying "Hoodily-hoo Manchester!".

He opened the show with a song called "The Real World", the energetic opening to his new record containing the line "Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't want to live there!". His band contained two violinists, two drummers at times, a female keyboard player who also sang with him and a guy on the bass. Adam himself went between guitar, keyboard and drums at one point.

I feel like he wasn't really a great instrumentalist but he sang very well - his voice must be a lot less edited than I thought, it carries over nicely onto stage, and his confidence and audience interaction topped it all.

Highlights for me were "The Bird and the Worm", in which it was nice to be in a room full of people singing something you didn't realise was popular, "Cave In" and of course, "Fireflies". One of my annoyances was one song he played (I've looked and can't find it, it may be called "Rockets") included the vocal track of the rapper he'd recorded it with. I didn't like that, I think a live show is about everything being reproduced.

The audience was very enthusiastic and dancey, though I'd say split between the hardcore fans singing along to everything, and a few drunks who just called out "PLAY FIREFLIES" constantly.

It was undeniably cheesy. The audience was largely teenagers, and he said so many things that were so forcefully cute they made me laugh or just feel a little sick, like at the end of a song called "Angels".

"I guarentee that there are angels around your vicinity... Especially in MANCHESTEEEEER!"

At one point he also said he was enjoying the show so much, he'd call his mom about it afterwards.

To conclude, no, this is not something I would have done alone and I appreciated that. It's so clear that Adam Young loved what he was doing, and if he didn't he put an awful lot of effort into making everybody there feel like it - he was an entertained for the hardcore fans, and for the university attendees who'd just come to find somewhere to drink beer and dance, and I think that's great. It might not be the kind of music I like listening on the bus, but I think that the way his music is bringing it onto stage must have been a challenge, and that was done greatly most of the time.

* * *

This was hard to finish off as I've still not gotten over Laura Marling and how great she was.

Remember if you're in the UK - eight o clock. Tomorrow. BBC Radio 2. She is wonderful and even if you don't enjoy it you can listen for me "woooo"-ing.

I'll see you next week.

- Lizzie xx