The overly excited guy in the seat next to me said it best. “Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, all of those other big name female stars… they’re all Diet Pepsi’s. I’m more of a Dr. Pepper fan myself!” To say that I agreed with this statement would be an understatement and I waited with a sense of excitement that I normally don’t get at shows for P!nk, the Dr. Pepper of the music world, to take the stage.
Growing up I immersed myself in pop-punk boy bands and sinister looking metal bands. There really wasn’t a female that in that scene that I looked up to and the pop groups of those days, although I would (and still can) sing along to every Brittany Spears song, weren’t relateable to me as the misfit I was turning into. But then there was P!nk. She wasn’t trying to be perfect like the other popstars and she wasn’t trying to be too hard like the over the top metal bands I was listening to. She was just right and turned into the perfect balance musicially for an angsty person like myself and a true idol for those who didn’t quite fit the mold of the pop princess look.
I wasn’t sure what to expect walking into last night’s arena show, Like usual, I was skeptical as to if P!nk would actually be singing or just lip syncing everything like many of the other huge names I’ve seen in this setting but that didn’t lessen my excitement. As the lights went dark, a man holding a recorder popped out on stage to play an opening diddy. Then, with no warning, the giant pink sheets concealing the stage dropped to the floor and I was instantly put into a state of shock and awe. I watched as the woman I’ve been idolizing for years hang from a chandelier looking thing while singing along to ‘Get the Party Started’. I was instantly transported to a time and place where I didn’t have a care in the world and, along with my new best friend standing next to me, I screamed the words as loud as I could and smiled as big as I could until I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes from excitement and pure exhilaration.
Throughout P!nk’s extensive twenty-one song performance, there were some songs that took me back to my younger years and other songs that I had never heard before. Regardless of if I was screaming along like an idiot or standing there with my mouth closed, there was an entertainment value that could not be overlooked. P!nk is definitely a performer and, when joined on stage by her uber talented dancers and the ever-changing stage set up, you are left with a downright amazing show that makes it impossible to turn away or even glance at your phone for fear of missing something. Sure, was the giant inflatable Eminem figure that P!nk literally kicked the crap out of during ‘Revenge’ (a song they did together on her new album) a bit over the top? Yeah but I’m not complaining. Although it was over the top, it still didn’t distract from the fact that P!nk was still singing every single word as she flew through the area and kicked the crap out of this inflatable Eminem.
I truly respect P!nk for putting on a show like she did last night and still staying true to herself by actually singing instead of just lip syncing. It made for a perfectly imperfect performance and just adds to the feeling of her being a human being. There were times when she was too busy flipping through the air to be bothered with the words but the crowd was there to catch her without a single complaint. Having her skip some words here and there and hearing her take giant breaths after running up and down the giant stage just added an element of realness to her performance that is typically lost when it comes to these giant arena shows. For her final encore of the night ‘Glitter in the Air’, P!nk was barefoot as she walked around the stage to say her goodbye’s. Sure, that sounds small and stupid but find me one other performer at a show of this caliber that would walk around barefoot.
P!nk has gained some notoriety for the way she literally flies around audiences. Monday night’s show was no different and I watched in awe as she flew just a couple feet above my head during her first encore song, ‘So What’ which just happens to be one of my all time favorites. Again, like the inflatable Eminem thing, a bit over the top? Sure. But the fact that she was still singing as she whizzed through the air waving to every section in the arena on her way made up for any schtickiness that may have been felt. Her glitter outfit caught the lights as she flew around in a way that was absolutely perfect. Stopping only a couple of times on two small platforms that had been set up on the ground, P!nk showed a jaw dropping amount of stamina with all of the flips and tricks she did while still singing along to her anthemic songs that created a soundtrack for many kids like me and continue to influence the younger generations.
There were moments during last night’s performance that were exciting and had the crowd sporting jaws on the ground from the sheer athleticism of P!nk and her dancers. There were other moments that had people teary eyed from the amount of conviction that you could feel radiating off the stage as P!nk addressed the crowd or sang one of her ballad-like songs. Other moments were full of people screaming along to the songs that, at one point or another, were the soundtrack to the age when you are busy trying to find yourself. So maybe some of us have yet to ‘find ourselves’ but knowing that there’s a superstar as big as P!nk that is going through the same issues to this day makes everything seem a bit easier.
Love her or hate her, P!nk is a rare gem in the superstar world. Her down-to-earthness, talent, and personality put her on a completely different level that others and have made her a staple in the playlist of many people’s lives. P!nk has been, and continues to be, one of my idols and seeing her perform live was definitely an unforgettable experience.
