Guys. I LOVE live events. Not just attending them, but being a part of creating that one of a kind experience for others. 

The buzz of excitement in the air. The complete high you feel after you've seen your favorite performer do what they do best with 100 strangers that now feel like family because you've shared an experience with them that can't be replicated. 

Just think about that. Not one live event is exactly the same (except the part where they tell you that you're the best crowd yet - mkay sure we are.....it's not like you say that everywhere or anything....

Crazy right?! Every crowd brings a unique energy to an entirely new venue for every stop on any tour no matter what it is, magic, music, comedy, whatever!

In October I decided to get back into working shows again. All throughout college my weekdays were filled with programming meetings and my weekends were full of setting up, promoting, and enjoying the events our hard work pulled off! Throughout my four years of campus wide event planning and greek life events we did everything from bring in big name comedians like Aziz Ansari to hosting yoga under the starts where the only lighting was coming from glowsticks scattered throughout trees in the quad, to messy twister, to movie nights and indoor skating. 

Anyways, after being out of school for a few years I realized I really missed events and not only events, but working with an awesome team of peers & friends to make our creative visions come to life. On one of my random trips to Cleveland, I was catching up with a friend from my MAP (Miami Activities and Planning) days and she mentioned this new side gig she had working concerts and music festivals and I just knew I had to apply as well! 

After making it though the application process I was accepted as a brand ambassador!! 

My first gig was working the VIP for Imagine Dragons on their Believe Tour in Cincinnati. 

After we were done packing up the VIP space, we got to enjoy the concert. From. The. Pit. It was awesome! I'll never spring for pit "seats" myself so the experience alone was super cool. And let me tell you, Imagine Dragons puts on a SHOW. The lighting and stage details were crazy cool. Not only did they drop some of the most unique holographic circle confetti I've ever seen, they also had a bubble machine cranking out fog filled bubbles. Ok I apparently live under a rock and didn't even know that was a thing but it was SO COOL. Every time a bubble burst, it released a little puff of smoke. Plus the fog made the light show more interesting. 

There were led light  panels above the band, pointing down, so not only were there crazy things happening with the laser lights and crowd focused lighting, but they were creating vivid images and projecting them down in a way were only those in the pit could truly look up and enjoy them. I snapped a few pictures, but these images hardly do them justice. 

Long story short. If you have a passion that's been sitting on the back burner for a while now - it's time to bring it forward. Just starting to work on an old passion again or being inspired to cultivate a whole new passion is movement in the right direction and you won't regret spending time on something you love. You may however wake up in 20 years and think wow, I wish I would have applied myself more because after 20 years you could learn and harness fantastic new skills. For example, I've loved the way violins sound for forever and I started thinking about starting lessons after graduation when I moved back home but naturally I never did. I've been home almost 4 years now. If I'd been playing for 4 years I could actually be a decent player by now!

But also on a lighter note, if you have the opportunity to see Imagine Dragons live DO IT. They are fantastic. I don't think anyone could attend one of their shows and not enjoy anything about it. If you're into lighting and effects, this band will crush it. Pop, rock, or electronic music? Imagine Dragons fuses pieces of all those styles into their performances. If music and lights aren't really your thing, you can bet that Dan Reynolds, the lead singer, will give at least one inspiration speech about being your own person and striving to achieve your dreams against all else. He usually throws in some of that love everyone fluff too and you'll walk away feeling inspired and like you are worth a million bucks.