For the Superbowl, Sirius XM and Pandora presented two free concert at the Fillmore on Miami Beach for the Superbowl Weekend Concert Series. I saw The Chainsmokers, Lizzo and even a surprise guest star give stand-out performances.
The Chainsmokers
Since their break-through in 2014, The Chainsmokers have evolved into one of music’s hottest pairs. Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, who make up the electronic music duo, have collaborated with Halsey, Kygo and K-Pop sensation BTS. They have landed five Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 singles, nearly 3 billion streams on Pandora and even a Grammy Award.
On Jan. 30, fans were lined up for about three blocks to get in. The audience was capped at 2,700 people. Once inside, before the duo even came on stage, I could feel the energy and rowdiness building.
At around 10 p.m. the room went dark. Red and yellow strobe lights flashed as smoke rose from the floor. Pall, Taggart and their drummer Matt McGuire ran out to their raised setup at center stage.
Despite the intimate size of the Fillmore, the Chainsmokers brought their upbeat and festival-scale sets to space. Following their explosive intro, the Chainsmokers played a mix of their top hits like ‘Paris,’ ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘Call You Mine’ ft. Bebe Rexha. After the epic drum solo came other collaboration songs. They did ‘Who Do You Love’ featuring The Chainsmokers’ former tour-mates 5 Seconds of Summer, ‘Something Just Like This’ featuring Coldplay and ‘Closer,’ a song featuring Halsey that became the first to spend 26 weeks in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following the action-packed 90-minute set, the Chainsmokers left the stage leaving myself and the crowd feeling pumped.
If you’re feeling major FOMO (fear of missing out), you can catch The Chainsmokers at The Players Championship Practice on March 10.
Lizzo
The following night, I saw eight-time Grammy-nominated artist and now three-time Grammy winner Lizzo. The singer has taken the music world by storm, spending 2019 topping the charts song after song, promoting self-love and entertaining fans around the world with her larger than life personality.
Before the concert even started, phones buzzed with emails saying only RSVPs were allowed in the venue due to Lizzo’s enormous success. The energy outside the venue was palpable since this was her first show after her multiple Grammy wins on Jan. 26.
As the lights dimmed, Lizzo’s set opened with background singers chanting, “who’s here to love life and love living?” In comparison to the Chainsmokers, Lizzo interacted more personally with her fans. She celebrated life and its imperfections, while the Chainsmokers had a feel of getting the party started.
After her first song, Lizzo told her fans to close their eyes and love themselves. “Tonight is about honoring exactly how I feel,” yelled Lizzo as the audience and I cheered in support. She said this year she’s “f**k-boy free” because she and all of her friends deserve real love.
Once Lizzo ended her fist speech, Lizzo felt herself and danced it out. As the night continued, the show had the feel of celebration. Lizzo said that her bond with her fans is like no other and that they are not just fans, but family. This speech made the singer to tear up as she stated everyone needs to “practice what you preach” when it comes to loving others.
The singer also dedicated the show to the late Kobe Bryant. She described how time is fleeting and emphasized the need to make the most of what we have. To lighten the mood, the singer played her smash hit ‘Good as Hell’ followed by another hit ‘Truth Hurts.’ At this point, the crowd was very amped up. After the final cords of ‘Truth Hurts,’ Lizzo left the stage. The audience chanted for an encore.
Lizzo jumped back out to sing her single ‘Juice.’ The opening played as Lizzo lead everyone in a clap. Then she brought a very special surprise guest: Harry Styles. Yes, you read correctly. Harry Styles, hit solo artist who released his new album ‘Fine Line’ in December. As soon as he strutted out, the whole audience burst into cheers of madness. You can watch their performance for yourself here.
words, photo & video_alexandra hopfenberg