Scarypoolparty's Summer Acoustic Tour 2021: My First Concert Experience by Katy Trinh

I have been a huge fan of Scarypoolparty (Alejandro Aranda) for exactly 15 months. In that time, I completely immersed myself in his musical world, learning anything and everything about him. I watched his audition and all of his performances on American Idol. I subscribed to his Youtube channel and watched his videos. I went on Soundcloud and Spotify and listened to his music. I went on Apple Music and downloaded all of his songs and put them on my playlist. I created both an Instagram account and Twitter account so I could follow him. I even joined his fan clubs on Facebook and became a moderator for one of them. So now I work behind the scenes in the fan club to help support him and promote his music. I seriously fell deep down the rabbit hole and I had a feeling that this was not going to be a temporary thing. I somehow knew I was going to stay down there for a very long time.

When I found out Alejandro was doing an acoustic tour this month, I was elated. I’ve been waiting for exactly 15 months to see him perform live on stage. Everything had been shut down due to the pandemic during that time. Now things are starting to open back up and concerts are starting to happen again. I knew I had to see him, even though he was not going to be anywhere near my hometown. I found out that another Facebook fan club member was driving down to Birmingham and Nashville from Pennsylvania. “Wait,” I thought to myself. Washington D.C. is sort of on the way. What are the chances that I would be able to hitch a ride with her? Well, the chances were very good because that was exactly what I did. She picked me up at my school (I’m a teacher) and we drove 12 hours south to Birmingham.

The next day before the show, we met up with a few of the members of the Facebook fan clubs and had dinner together. It was so nice to physically meet the people we talk to on Facebook. We all instantly felt a connection and acted like we were good friends. It was pretty amazing as I have never experienced anything like that before. After dinner, we walked to the venue. Avondale Brewing Company looked like a restaurant with a bar. We walked out to the back and saw the big stage. Some tables were set up in the front and the back. In between, were chairs that were placed in pods of 4 for social distancing. My pod ended up being in the center, middle which I was very happy about. It wasn’t close to the stage but it didn’t matter. I was beyond thrilled to be there. I felt so giddy with excitement, like a little kid in a candy shop. I was told that seeing Alejandro live is like no other experience at all. I will be in complete and utter awe. I will be totally mesmerized. I was ready to feel all of the emotions that I was about to feel. Alejandro’s soulful acoustic music brings out the raw emotions that I immediately connect with. I knew I was going to be in for a real treat that evening and couldn’t wait for him to walk out onto the stage.

As soon as I spotted Alejandro onstage, I screamed and clapped like the rest of the audience did. The crowd wasn’t very big and there were empty seats that were not filled but it didn’t matter. I knew Alejandro was just as happy to be playing in front of a small crowd as he would be in front of a big crowd. From what I know about him, I think he’s just thrilled to be playing music and grateful for the people who showed up to listen to his music. His set list included:

Out Loud

Tonight

Cholo Love

Return2Sender

Fake Smiles

Friends

Millennial Love

Falling Down

Poison

The Darkness

Cellphones

10 Years

Alejandro began the performance with a fan favorite, his signature song “Out Loud.” As soon as he belted out, “Hold me closer than your fantasy” I felt a wave of excitement come over me. I’ve heard this song many times before but listening to it live was a completely different feeling. Many fans couldn’t help but sing along with him, me included of course. This song is about how he couldn’t tell the truth when he was younger and now he’s learned to speak the truth. It was one of the first songs he had ever written and performed it in front of the judges during his audition for American Idol (season 17).

Next, Alejandro sang another fan favorite song from his American Idol days called, “Tonight.” I must say that this is one of my top favorite SPP songs. After the first verse, two of his bandmates entered the stage and got ready to play their instruments. Maxx Diaz was on bass and Travis Couch was on guitar. Mid-way through the song, the instruments and the synth hit and completely elevated the song. I also sang along to this one.

“Cholo Love’ was next and this is another classic song that he performed on American Idol. This one, along with both “Out Loud” and “Tonight” are from his debut album, Exit Form. I wanted to stand up and dance to this one but I didn’t want to obstruct the view of others behind me so I decided to dance in my chair instead. Of course, I couldn’t help but to sing along to this one as well.

Alejandro then performed “Return2Sender” and “Fake Smiles” after that. Both songs are from his EP Doom Hologram. It was interesting how Return2Sender had a jazzy feel to it and reminded me of the soft acoustic version he sang during the Hotel Cafe livestream he did back on November 23, 2020. “Return2Sender” is one of my very top favorite songs so I was so happy that he included it in his set list that night. “Fake Smiles” is classified as experimental. Alejandro used an array of synth progressions to create the soundscape in that song. We’ve heard this song before during a couple of his livestreams and also during his performances at both The Wiltern and The Roxy.

“Scarypoolparty has a really amazing way of making a concert feel like home. He has this special way of playing a guitar like it’s a different instrument. The crowd just loves him.” Bevin Palmer, Scarypoolparty in Atlanta at the Coca-Cola Roxy; Imprint

Alejandro performed “Friends” next and it’s his newest release. It has such a catchy, upbeat and fun sound and I can’t help but to bop along to the music. This song is very telling of his struggles of being socially awkward and trying to fit in. “Friends” is a lighthearted song about being in the talking stage of a relationship and not knowing exactly how to say what you mean,” Aranda says of the new track. This is his first single from his new upcoming full-length 21-song double album, The Act of Forgiveness that will drop on August 27th. Though the song has only been out for about 2 weeks, I’ve been listening to it on repeat so I was able to sing along with him. For me, this was one of the highlights of the night.

“It’s impossible to predict what Scarypoolparty will do next in terms of style, but on this track, the musician shows off his gentle, yet powerful vocal ability and borderline unbelievable instrumental talent while exploring themes of nostalgia and giving an honest look into the reality of romantic connection.” -Scarypoolparty Displays Tremendous Musical Ambition on 21-Track Double Album The Act of Forgiveness, Out August 27th; Shore Fire Media

“With a nonchalant demeanor and authentic disposition, Aranda’s songs feel like a deep, sincere confession that attracts listeners of all backgrounds and preferences. “Friends” not only perfectly encapsulates Aranda’s euphonic prowess, but also his personal demeanor: deep, personal, and all-around sublime.” -Scarypoolparty “Friends” The AcousticTour; Lew Lew Media

After “Friends,” Alejandro sang his classic, “Millennial Love.” This time, the lucky audience got the acoustic stripped down version which is how he sang it on American Idol. For me, it was of course, a real treat to be able to listen to only his voice and the strum of his guitar. I could really feel his raw emotion as he belted out the lyrics, “This Millennial Love is something else. But I would do anything for you.”

Next, Alejandro performed one of my favorites, “Falling Down.” This song does not officially have a name, but it was called “Falling Down” on the set list. Those of us who follow him on Instagram and have watched his livestreams are familiar with this song. During his first Grammy Museum interview last year right before the pandemic hit, he played this song and called it “Cheeseburger Rocks.” A little humor from him is always such a treat.

Then Alejandro sang one of my favorites (Ok, so now you know I have many favorites), “Poison.” It always amazes me how he is able to play the guitar so meticulously and sing beautifully at the same time. I’ve been told how truly difficult that is and yet, he is masterful at it. Alejandro has mentioned on Instagram that he wrote this song during a very low point in his life and was not only struggling financially, but also personally as a musician. He also said how hard he had to work to achieve the correct strum pattern of this song.

Next, came” The Darkness.” This song literally blows everyone’s minds. It showcases what Alejandro is able to do on the guitar with his superhuman fingers. Those fingers fly so fast on the strings that it reminds me of a hummingbird’s wings fluttering at 80 times per second. The amount of endless hours of practice he’s done with this song on his guitar has certainly paid off because the song is pure magic. The American Idol winner this year, Chayce Beckham has put this song in his Instagram story and wrote, “You gotta be joking.” He certainly stated what all of us were thinking when the video was released on YouTube, and especially when Alejandro played it at Paste Studio: The Hotel Cafe Livestream on March 29th. I think he has brought the meaning of “shredding the guitar” to a whole new level.

The next song Alejandro sang was “Cellphones.” The video he has on his Youtube channel is the produced version with beats and synthesizers incorporated into the song. When he sang this version with his guitar, my heart literally melted. It reminded me of his Instagram clips of this song with just his voice and his guitar…but this was the full-length version. I was so happy he put this song in his set list that night.

The final song, “10 Years” came next and of course, this is another classic from his debut album, Exit Form. He also sang this song on American Idol during Hollywood week and also onstage with a full orchestra. However, this version was so beautiful with just his heartfelt emotions exuding as he sang every lyric of the song.

When the show ended, I was literally on a high. I felt every emotion that I could possibly feel. No other artist has ever made me feel this many ways. Alejandro seemed so happy and grateful to be onstage and playing music with his bandmates to a real-live audience. The pandemic took a toll on all of us and being able to all come together that night to listen to music is a beautiful thing. I know that’s very important to him.

The next day, we headed to Nashville to attend both the early and late shows. Again, my friend and I met with our Facebook fan club friends before the shows for dinner. Afterwards, we walked to the venue, The Basement East and stood in line outside. My friend and I were first in line (surprise!). When we entered the building, I saw a small stage and immediately knew the performances were going to be intimate and I got extremely excited. Our table was off to the right side of the stage, front. Needless to say, I was up close to the stage. For the later show, I sat in the second row center. I was about 20 feet away from Alejandro and got the perfect view. I couldn’t have been happier.

Alejandro sang the same songs on his set list as he did in Birmingham. I was thrilled to see the same performance three times. Yes, he’s THAT good. I have never felt so passionate about any other artist before. Sure, I have favorite artists and bands, but no one that compares to the genius level of musicality that Alejandro possesses. He really is a virtuoso of our century. Not only is he able to play both the piano and guitar, he is able to play them to the highest degree of difficulty. But what is most incredible about Alejandro is that he is able to create songs in different genres. He loves all types of music and he is able to draw from those different genres as inspiration to create his own music. That’s what makes him stand out from the crowd. He never stays in one lane nor is it ever fair for fans to ever put him in a “box.” From rap to jazz to industrial to R&B to pop/synth to classical to experimental...Alejandro does it all. His songs also cross genres within the songs. For example, you will hear classical components in an industrial song such as “Black Cross” and piano arpeggios in the trip-hop/trap/rap song, “Universe.” There are endless possibilities for him in regards to the types of music he is able to make creatively as an artist. I have no doubt that soon, he will score movies alongside Hans Zimmer. As a huge fan, I love to be surprised and get so excited when he announces the release of new music. Scarypoolparty’s music is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Overall, my very first Scarypoolparty concert experience was simply amazing and it was everything I had hoped for and more. I was completely transported into Scarypoolparty’s musical world and did not want it to end. I am so excited to see what’s next for him musically. I know there will be no end in sight for this extremely talented, creative and hardworking artist. He’s going to keep putting out new music and I am going to keep counting my lucky stars that I get to continue to ride alongside of him throughout his musical journey for the rest of my life.