I haven’t watched American Idol in years. A mixture of getting into different styles of music and digging a bit deeper into the music industry completely ruined the show for me. That being said, there was always talent on that show and that’s something I won’t downplay. It wasn’t always the winners that had the most talent and I often felt bad for the contestants that didn’t make it to the end but had the heart and passion that it takes to be a superstar. I may have fallen off the American Idol wagon but, as soon as I hear someone was on the show, I can’t help but check it out and give them a chance. That mindset mixed with a friend who, like the judges on American Idol, had been stunned by Alejandro Aranda’s talent were the reasons I found myself at First Avenue on Tuesday night.
I thoroughly enjoyed opening act Sucré. Although her music wasn’t my thing as it stayed in the electronic pop world of things, I loved the way that she gracefully moved between keyboards and computers without a sense of panic or inducing a frenzy. Honestly, if you watched her, it was a little overwhelming. Vocals here, hitting a couple of keys there all before moving to a sample pad to do a little something something here– it was a lot to take in and the ease with which Stacy King did it was truly stunning. As beautiful and talented as Stacy is, it was the drummer that joined her on stage towards the end of her opening set that really had me excited. He brought a sense of energy to the stage that I needed to get over the 8:30 PM hump that had me dragging. I don’t want you to take that as I found Sucré boring because I didn’t at all, it was more that the drummer (whose name I sadly didn’t catch but would be spotted on stage again with the headliner) just brought a special something to an already great set.
Although I had walked into last night’s show cautiously optimistic, Sucré’s set had me dropping that “cautiously” word. It may not have been my scene but if that opening set was any sign of the things to come, I was in for a surprisingly good and excited Tuesday night. All I knew about headliner Alejandro Aranda (currently touring with the name Scarypoolparty) was what my friend and fellow blogger had told me. He was a runner up on American Idol and should have won. His voice, passionate piano playing and intricate guitar work had the judges stunned and he instantly won over the country. I wanted to hear that beauty and it was clear the audience did too. The anticipation was palpable and turned into a deafening roar of applause as the house lights went down and the once concealed stage was revealed. Alejandro and his band wasted no time and jumped into a set that left the audience stunned and confused.
Honestly, Alejandro’s set wasn’t bad if you can get past certain aspects of it and the fact that it was nothing like what he had done on American Idol. His beats were infectious and there was something charming about his smile but it didn’t take long for the audience to realize that had gotten fooled and were not going to get that beauty and passion that had them falling head over heels for this man on American Idol. My friend and I been kind of standing off to the side of the stage so we could complain and discuss what was going on without ruining other people’s nights when, out of nowhere, an older woman came up to us and started asking us our thoughts. We didn’t know this lady but I was beyond interested to get her take on the show. She explained to us that she wasn’t mad, just disappointed. She had brought her 81 year old mother to this show because they had fallen in love with Alejandro on American Idol. They came to the Tuesday night show expecting to be serenaded by the young talent and, instead, had found themselves in a generic electronic show (my words– not hers– I’m paraphrasing here). I honestly felt so bad for them. I couldn’t imagine taking bringing someone to a concert expecting one thing and getting a completely different thing. It was honestly kind of heartbreaking.
Sure, it wasn’t what people were expecting but, as mentioned, his beats were infectious and I honestly liked some of the music I was hearing. I could get past the fact that this wasn’t the same as his time on American Idol (I mean, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t even heard of this guy and definitely hadn’t listened to his American Idol songs) but it was the feeling that he was lip syncing that I couldn’t get over. Sure, bands do it. Vocalists will use auto-tune or backing vocals to help them out. I’m not naive and I do this enough to let it roll of my back at this point where, in the past, it would have ruined a band for me. I get it… sometimes vocalists just need help. That being said, when a vocalist seems to use auto-tune for an entire song, or worse, an entire set, it will absolutely ruin that person or band for me. Alejandro Aranda is ruined for me. Sure, I wasn’t working sound last night and I can’t say 100% that Alejandro was lip syncing but the mixture of the smoke, dark lights, and the way the vocal volume didn’t falter as he stepped away from the microphone multiple times through the night would lead me to believe that the audience was not getting a genuine performance. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement and my friend and I hushed our conversations about the matter as to not ruin anyone else’s night around us. Sadly, I feel like the damage was already done. The Texas switch that Alejandro had done from playing sensitive and passionate songs on American Idol to the almost clubby vibe of Tuesday night’s set had already put fans on a path to the door.
I’m not here to drag Alejandro’s name through dirt. The fact of the matter is he was great on American Idol (I finally took some time to watch some clips this morning) and there were glimpses of his true talent scattered throughout Tuesday night’s performance. Sadly, those glimpses were not enough to outshine the disappointment and confusion that was felt throughout the crowd.
When my friend and I got in our Uber to go home, the Uber driver was singing Broadway showtunes. He was a kooky man but he was funny and I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that our ten minute ride home was more entertaining and genuine than the concert we had just been at.
Line Up:
Alejandro Aranda as Scarypoolparty
Venue: First Avenue
Sausage Fest Meter- 6 out of 10
Smell-O-Meter – Nothing
Average Age of the Crowd- 30
Crowd Surfers- None
Danceability- 1 out of 10
Stage Divers- None
Broken Bones- None
Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing
Fights- None Witnessed
Pukers- None Witnessed
Idiots Taken Out By Security- None Witnessed
Celebrity Sightings- None
Overall Score- 0.2 out of 10
Show on Deck- Matt & Kim/ Beach Goons
Shameless Self Promotion- Join My Patreon Here!
October 23, 2019 at 3:44 pm
I’m not sure why anyone would be surprised byScarypoolparty’s live show in this fall tour? He’s released 3 singles since June, none of which were acoustic music, he’s played this alternative style set at at least3 festivals this summer, he has stated numerous times that his new music and upcoming album would be “ very diff, very loud”. The reason he has a vocal track during shows is he created his songs in his own, layering his own vocals over each other as almost an additional instrument in the songs. That is his style. His self harmonizing is glorious!! No background singers could come close to the way he layers his vocals. Maybe do your homework next time before writing about an artist you are newly introduced too. He’s an amazing talent, both his acoustic ballads and industrial pieces are works of art. Give him a listen on SoundCloud. These are songs he wrote pre American Idol. Check out his YT channel, Svmcaryooolparty, check him out on Spotify. I know you’ll more appreciate the show you saw if you educate yourself on his talent.
October 23, 2019 at 3:48 pm
misslangen, SPP is as genuine as “Diamonds”!
If you follow him on IG, you can hear him speaking from his heart and soul. The AA appeared on Idol was what AI wanted the viewers to see; the SPP whom you saw @ the Fall Tour is who he is!
I went to the first Berkeley show and enjoyed every minutes of it! He was singing and playing instruments and dancing!
Please check his music on iTunes and his IG posts! You might appreciate the real Alejandro!
October 23, 2019 at 3:52 pm
First of all your review is written terribly, it rambles and is confusing. Anyone who follows Alejandro knows what to expect from this tour. He has stated what type of music he will play, he had stated he had always liked this type of music way before Idol, he has stated Idol stereotypes people to portray what they want people to see, he has stated this is the real person he is, not what Idol or non fans portray him. He is not what people fantasize about, he is about being real, and his music is REAL, never lipsynced, he uses his keyboard and instruments to make new sounds as he has done in his new music. He is more than Idol wanted people to believe.
October 23, 2019 at 4:22 pm
You are entitled to your opinion and as you say you didnt follow him at all. Well, I also found Alejandro on AI and started to search and found he’s music (which some of them he performed at his concert) on Soundcloud, YouTube and Spotify. Before his fall tour, he performed at Lolla and 2 other festivals where he played basically the same set. He had several interviews where he explained that this tour will be different, beginning loud and ending with acoustic. He also recently released Diamonds (🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️). I’m from South Africa and watch every livestream or video from his shows. Maybe you should do the same and rephrase the lip syncing part. Jip, backing vocals 👍👍👍, but not in all his songs. I also jumped off the American Idol wagon and onto the Scarypoolparty wagon, as there’s more to him them acoustic. He’s command his instruments, write and produce his own music. He’s got beautiful soft vocals and is probably the most authentic artist I’ve seen in a long time. I would also suggest to watch the Cori Jacobs YouTube channel(grammy nominated keyboard player) genius breakdown on Alejandro’s music and where Cori was on a podcast and interviewed about Alejandro.Yeah, I know everyone doesn’t enjoy and like the same music, etc ………. , but I can’t get pass the lip syncing and the fooled part you mention. This is a bit harsh and unfair. If you’re a fan, you walk the journey with artist and not be surprised at one of his shows.
October 23, 2019 at 4:48 pm
I, too fell in love with Alejandro on AI. I loved his performances, originals and covers. I then went on to search for more, and found his IG posts. I attended his Portland and Seattle shows and was thrilled with his new sound, and not surprised at all, because he’s been telling anyone who’s listening that he’s always been into a variety of music.
If your passion is music and concerts, and you’re going to see a new artist, perhaps do a bit of background searching. Certainly Diamonds would give anyone a heads up about what to expect.
I hope he and the band just keep on surprising us.
October 23, 2019 at 5:09 pm
Oh my goodness, if you’re going to critique an artist, at least do a little research! Lip syncing is a serious accusation in the music industry. To anyone who looked him up even briefly, it would be apparent that Alejandro Aranda would be one of the least likely musicians to EVER lip sync! He is well-known in his circles for his genuineness and authenticity, almost to a fault. The name of his current tour is “Alejandro Aranda is Scarypoolparty.” That obviously implies that one of the objectives of this tour is to introduce some different facets of his musical talent other than the acoustic genius he displayed to his American Idol fans. (He’s already completed a sold out summer mini-tour that was totally acoustic as a thank you to his AI fans.) He is no one-trick pony . . . as demonstrated in his recent festival shows at Lollapalooza, Life is Beautiful, Austin City Limits, Pomona Live, and others. The production of his concert soundtrack includes recordings of himself singing his own multiple harmonies with which he sings his own melodies and lyrics live, in addition to piano and guitar and synth accompaniment music of his own creation. There is also some electronic reverb thrown in for the industrial vibe, but there is NO auto-tuning needed for this guy! His varied genres were on display for all to see prior to and during AI . . . through SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram. Even at his audition at the very beginning of his AI run, he stated that one of his musical influences is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails! It’s one thing to say that you like this but not that about an artist; everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It is another thing to spew false accusations of lip syncing and intentionally trying to deceive fans when Alejandro has been open and honest all along the way about who he is . . . he is all about the music . . . all of it!
October 23, 2019 at 6:26 pm
You just earned a 0.0 out of 10, for this blog. Wow! Did you ever think to do just a little background research, even something as small as search on YouTube, would’ve given you an idea of his vast musicality talent. Alejandro/Scarypoolparty is an AMAZING musical Genius! Whether that be his harder Industrial vibe or his softer acoustic side, he creates all of this and he shares all his musical expressions with his audience. Maybe, you should crawl out of the rock you’ve been hiding under. To also, accuse him of lip synching? 🤯The Grandma gets a pass, but YOU…Girl at a Rock Show, you just earned an epic FAIL.
October 23, 2019 at 6:54 pm
Anyone who was surprised by scarypoolparty’s music on this tour, did not follow him or seek out his other music. He has always created music in several genres….before and after Idol. YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud and Spotify have songs from all of his genres. I don’t watch AI. I accidentally caught Alejandro’s audition. I was immediately a fan and needed to know more. It didn’t take but a few mins of searching to see Alejandro was a musical genius in every style he created. I only watched this season of AI because of Alejandro. He announced his Fall tour in June. He did an acoustic tour in July. At every show, in every interview and on his IG, he told people what to expect for the Fall tour. He said he’d be with a band and the concert would be loud. He debuted with the band at Park West, Lollapalooza, Life is Beautiful and Austin City Lights festivals. There have been lots of vids shared from those shows, so if they were following him, they would not have been surprised. He clearly stated, the first few songs would be high energy, rock/industrial/electronic and then the music would be mellower and he’d end with just him and his acoustic guitar. Alejandro released 3 singles: Tonight, Cholo Love (3 versions) and Diamonds (one of the first songs performed). If “fans” were following him and buying his music, there would have been NO surprises. Any disappointments or confusion is on the “fans” and not Alejandro aka scarypoolparty because he was very clear about how the Fall tour would be. Scarypoolparty (his stage name before Idol) posted a picture after the show last night. If you read the comments, you would see only a couple of people were disappointed. A couple of people commented they were surprised, but loved everything.
I’ve seen him three times (solo and with the band) and I’m going to two more shows in November. Alejandro is a master at layering, whether vocally or with instruments and sounds. He was not lip-sinking. The heavier music has so many layers, all of it can not be reproduced with just the instruments played by the band. If you are going to write a unbiased real review, you should first KNOW more about the artist and ALL of the music he creates. Secondly, you should have spoken to people other than the few confused ones. You should have spoken to some fans closer to the stage.
His more mellow music last night were songs he performed on Idol. Some may have had more energy, but still just as heartfelt and soul reaching.
October 23, 2019 at 10:07 pm
Your review is completely of the mark. Next time you write a review remember that to write confidently and assertively about anything, you MUST be sure of your knowledge on the subject. Your review shows that you know very little about Alejandro and his music.
October 24, 2019 at 2:52 am
Wow. You don’t follow him. You don’t hear his amazing work from AI until AFTER you’ve seen his performance. You already had a preconceived notion that he wasn’t going to satisfy. It’s in your tone from the very beginning. Your friend, who obviously hasn’t followed his work since AI sets up this vision for you and you clearly didn’t want to give him a chance. You haven’t followed him. You haven’t allowed yourself to be moved as all of us fans are. We hear his talent. We hear his vulnerability. We hear without judgement. Sure you’re entitled to your opinion but how about do your research 1st. Open your ears! He has ZERO reason to lip sync. He’s talented. He’s unpredictable. He’s going to give the audience exactly what they’re looking for from beginning to end. He is humble. He’s genuine. He’s raw. He’s authentic. That doesn’t exist anymore with hardly any artist. He’s got new music daily. He’s so versatile. This music comes from the depths of his soul! He’s got so many ideas in his head that would make you spin! You can’t possibly think with his dedicated and loyal fan base and following that we are all unable to know a musical genius when we hear one. Seriously you felt sorry for an 81 year old that had no business at a show like that. They obviously didn’t research either. If the last thing they saw him on was AI and thought his creativity was gonna end there then you have nothing to base your opinion on. You don’t know AA aka Scarypoolparty aka SPP. I would never go see George Strait without ever listening to his music or watching some concert footage. My opinion would be invalid, as is yours. This video was taken last night at the same show you attended. This is him. This is who we love, support and believe in. https://youtu.be/ewOgX0W7KB8
Oh and you made a grammatical error. It’s ‘off’, not ‘of’. Your work is very amateur. If this is how you write reviews by bashing a new & upcoming artist then you have failed.
October 24, 2019 at 10:29 pm
This has got to be the most absurd “review” I have ever read in my entire life!!!! How do you go to a show without even knowing who the band is or at least do some sort of research on them !?! Had you taken the time to do that you would’ve known the tour is called Alejandro Aranda is Scarypoolparty. Just the name itself should give you an idea. That doesn’t sound like American Idol vibes at all. Had you also checked his social media accounts you’d also know that he doesn’t fit into one tiny little box that some threw him in as they were watching AI. He is a musical genius & definitely doesn’t fit into one genre of music. I’ve been to 3 of his shows & let me break your heart & inform you that he does NOT lip sync. Perhaps you need glasses or a new prescription. I haven’t seen lip syncing once at any of his shows. You just sound like a hater. Sorry not sorry he didn’t meet YOUR expectations. Who are you anyway?!?!
November 1, 2019 at 1:59 pm
I was at The PlayStation Concert in NYC on Monday night.
I LOVE Alejandro and was expecting to hear him play more songs on his own.
I have downloaded all his music and am in his fan club.
Tecno music is so far from what we are use to.
Maybe a little more of a mix on the tour.
More Alejandro less band!