Written by Susie Salva
Owl City has released his first DVD/Blu-Ray Owl City Live From Los Angeles on Eagle Rock Entertainment. On this disc Owl City gives the world an All Access pass into one of his (the multi-talented Minnesota native Adam Young) headlining shows from the All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour release.
This DVD/Blu-Ray features 90 minutes of live performance, behind the scenes footage, exclusive interviews and more. Filmed at LA’s Club Nokia on July 21, 2011 the full track concert and is the follow up to the early success of Owl City. Owl City exploded on to the scene with the success of his (Adam Young) major label debut Ocean Eyes. Released by Universal Republic Records in July 2009, the album topped the Billboard Rock, Alternative, and Dance/Electronic charts and was certified platinum in the U. S. It also spawned the quadruple platinum hit, “Fireflies,” which hit #1 in 24 countries including twice in the U. S.
Owl City then went on his first ever tour as the headliner and sold out shows across 4 continents scarcely taking a break until it was time to record a new album. In the winter of 2010 the electro-pop aficionado went back into the basement where it all began and recorded his sophomore release All Things Bright and Beautiful, which was released June 14th, 2011. The multi-talented musician Adam Young playing guitar, piano and drums finds himself shy and quiet 25-year-old decided to name his project Owl City because it was an ambiguous title where, “People digging through record shelves might have question marks about the name and spark interest in the name and the design and pick it up,” he says in the interview portion of the DVD.
This DVD gives fans a rare chance to see into the world of Owl City experiencing the excitement of his live show intimately with the mastermind behind the project: Adam Young. The disc starts off masterfully with the sonic drumbeats of three drummers on the opening song, “Real World,” as the string section provides background sounds to these whimsical lyrics and engaging melodies.
Owl City has a young and fresh sound as he humbly speaks to the crowd in Club Nokia. Young announces that it is a special evening with cameras shooting his first DVD. Many of the tracks on the disc feature topics of the sea, “Hello Seattle,” “Swimming in Miami,” “Umbrella Beach,” “Setting Sail,” “Meteor Shower,” “How I Became the Sea,” and songs about bugs such as their mega-hit “Fireflies,” sung in unison by his clamoring fans and “The Bird and the Worm.”
“Angels” incorporates the xylophone and keyboard as Young delves into “Umbrella Beach,” starting off as an instrumental track complete with synthesizer and three keyboards as Young tickles the ivories himself. “Plant Life,” is one stands out as Young tells the audience that they are, “Very sweet and charming as it is a room with many friends and family that showed up.” “Setting Sail,” has Young playing drums again praising the crowd. Young’s lyrics are very clever and honest as he dives into “Lonely Lullaby,” the Ann Marie track before breaking it wide open with the monster hit, “Fireflies,” a rocked out version as the audience goes ballistic singing all the words to the entire song. “Dreams Don’t Turn to Dust,” has syncopated rhythms as the fans joined in one more time to sing “Kamikaze.””Galaxies,” has a danceable beat and, “Alligator Sky,” features Shaun Christopher doing rap. Owl City is versatile performing rock, alternative, dance, electronic and Rap. “Los Angeles you are beautiful,” Young tells the audience as he sings, “Deer in the Headlights,” a song about really pretty girls and pepper spray. The crowd gleefully pogo danced to “The Yacht Club,” ending the set as the fans shouted, “One more song,” as Young obliged singing, “How I Became the Sea,” and “If My Heart was a House.”
The DVD/Blu-Ray features an interview with Adam Young showing off scenes in Hollywood and how the bands set is put together piece by piece. Young tells about being 16-years-old and picking up his uncle’s acoustic guitar and his inability to put it down. He was into skateboarding but found the guitar more fascinating the guitar became a tool that he couldn’t escape. Young tells of his early work experience in a frozen section of a market in the Midwest during high school. He says, “I started writing music out of boredom and it became a passion taking over my life.” He wondered how the sounds that he was creating would translate into something live and found that to be challenging. He thought that it, “could be boring,” but centered himself around professional people and he felt confident he could pull it off. He couldn’t believe that his songs out of his imagination would translate into songs on Billboard and iTunes as he finds himself having a blessed life. Fans asked him various questions in the interview portion of the DVD like his favorite snack…Snickers and Reeses anything in a convenience store. Favorite place to visit…Hawaii and what else would he do if he didn’t play music…laying roofing tile.
Young writes his best form of music in his unkempt basement with no windows creating his electronic and melodically infectious brand of music with a simple and singular beauty. Young has gone from shy Midwesterner to an enthusiastic performer jotting around the globe touring his music to clamoring fans on four continents. “The gratification you get from flying across the world and playing to a room full of kids who know your lyrics, even if they don’t speak your language is totally stunning.” Young says, “It those moments when you stand back and say, “I’m just a normal guy. I can’t believe this is happening.” Owl City – Live from Los Angeles DVD/Blu-Ray documents one stop on this seventy six date All Things Bright and Beautiful World Tour.
