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Written by: Stephanie Mora, Regional Head- Pacific/Southwest
Haven't heard of Tamar Kaprelian yet? Haven't heard of Boyce Avenue either? Well you're definitely going to want to put them on your radar. Tamar's hit single
New Day has been featured during trailers for ABC Family's new TV Series Huge, and her debut album is due out in August featuring songs she co-wrote with One Republic. Boyce Avenue just released their major label debut album that reached the top 30 on the Itunes chart, and they will be opening for the Goo Goo Dolls and Switchfoot in Florida. And, well, both artists put on a fantastic live show with high energy.
The weather wasn't the only thing that was hot in San Diego on Friday, June 25th. Singer/songwriter Tamar Kaprelian and acoustic rockers, Boyce Avenue played a show at the Epicenter as the San Diego stop on their current summer tour. Despite the Epicenter being a smaller venue, there was an excellent turn out of people. Adults, teenagers, males, females, groups of friends and couples all crowded the stage on Friday night to be closer to Tamar and the brothers of Boyce Avenue.
Tamar was the first to perform, taking her place center stage behind a bright red keyboard. Her guitar player, Bruce, took stage right. Opening with her catchy, pop song
Delicate Soul, Tamar got the crowd moving, and she immediately showcased her talent on the keys and her extraordinary voice. Transitioning to the next song, there were some technical difficulties and the sound on the keyboard suddenly stopped working. While waiting for the sound technician to figure out the sound issues, Tamar went acoustic and sang her own versions of
Free Falling and
A Whole New World from the Disney movie, Aladdin. These classic songs were a treat to hear, bringing back memories of childhood, and all through out the audience, fans were swaying their arms back and forth. Moving into the next song, the sound on the keyboard still didn't work, but this didn't seem to phase her. She continued to go acoustic, and insisted that everyone in the audience to move their cell phones back and forth in the air for the ballad,
Raining In Paradise, which will be on Tamar's upcoming debut album
Sinner Or A Saint.
Raining In Paradise is a powerful song that really displays how talented a songwriter she is. The ballad also displayed Tamar's incredible vocal range. Following
Raining In Paradise, Tamar sang a beautiful acoustic rendition of her hit single
New Day. This was most definitely the crowd favorite. Fans could be heard singing along and humming the melody. Before closing out her set with her last song, Tamar promised to be at the back of the venue by the merch table to meet every fan. A throng of teenage boy admirers screamed and asked if she pinky promised to meet everyone. Tamar answered with a smile and laugh, and pinky promised to meet everyone. To end her set, Tamar sang the title track off her upcoming album,
Sinner Or A Saint. Before beginning the song, she explained that she was able to co-write the song with the her friends, the members of One Republic, and that her debut album on Interscope Records should be out in August.
Sinner Or A Saint is another catchy tune that Tamar sang while playing the tambourine. Anyone who performs using a tambourine earns kudos points in my book. The tambourine just adds an extra dance spice to a set, and during
Sinner Or A Saint, the entire crowd was dancing and clapping along. It was clear that every fanm including myself, didn't want Tamar's set to be over just yet.
They say all good things must come to an end, and Tamar's set did come to end but staying true to her word, she appeared at the merch tables right after she finished her set to meet every fan. There were fans already hovering around the merch tables as she hit the last note of her final song just so they could be first in line to meet her. Now, I have been to a lot of concerts. I have been to concerts at bigger venues and concerts at smaller venues. I have witnessed a lot meet and greets. The majority of artists today do quick meet and greets that consist of a quick hello and pciture or autograph even if it is a smaller show. But Tamar took the time to have a conversation with each and every fan. She also personalized everyone's poster or promotion card and took pictures with everyone. She even did at least 4 poses with me, personally because my camera refused to work. Not only did she do this directly after her set but she also came back out after Boyce Avenue's set to ensure that she didn't miss anyone and to meet with fans that wanted to talk to her a second time. It was very refreshing to see Tamar take so much time to make every single fan happy. She is such a sweet and sincere person that put her fans first. I have no doubt that everyone hung up their signed and personalized Tamar Kaprelian poster in their room when they got home on Friday night.
If the San Diego show was any indication, Tamar Kaprelian has a bright future. She's a gifted songwriter, she has a powerful and spot on voice, and she cares about her fans. The sound difficulties that were experience during her set was in no way her fault, but she dealt with it well. She improvised, and sang acousticly. Personally, I think playing acoustically showed that she is the real deal. Acoustic sets show raw talent, and it proved that Tamar can sing and perform even when everything is stripped down. Her set also showed her diversity. She sang many types of songs during her set and she did well with the upbeat pop songs, ballads and classics. The last thing that is important to note is that even though Tamar hasn't been on a lot of tours, she has a strong stage presence and she interacts with audience which makes her performance more special and memorable. From the sneak peak, I caught at the show, Tamar's debut album promises engaging, honest lyrics, and catchy, beautiful melodies. I think I can speak for everyone who was at the San Diego show, when I say that Tamar has a long lasting career ahead of her and I hope to enjoy it right there with her.
After Tamar's set, Boyce Avenue took the stage. Alejandro Manzano, the lead singer took center stage with his guitar while his brothers, Daniel and Fabien took stage left and right, playing bass and guitar respectively. The three, acoustic rockers made an impact right away. Girls screamed from the front rows of the crowd, obviously enjoying the attractiveness of the three guys. Boyce Avenue played the majority of the songs from their debut album,
All That We Have Left including
Broken Angel, Every Breath, Find Me, When The Lights Die, Hear Me Now, Briane, On My Way, etc. Each song on Boyce Avenue's debut album has a distinct story behind it which makes it unique. Every lyric is filled with passion. They also threw in a slough of their most popular covers from youtube such as Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Rihanna and Goo Goo Dolls. Fans seemed to enjoy these covers just as much as the orginals. Boyce Avenue is a band that is a must see live. They put on a very good live show, taking the time to interact with their fans and to explain the stories behind their songs. A few times during the show, Daniel gave shout outs to a few girls dancing and having a good time in the back. At a certain period, all three brothers left the stage, but fans were screaming, begging them to return. Alejandro returned to sing a song acoustically by himself, and Daniel and Fabien later joined him to close out the show. They gave no indication as to whether or not they would come out to meet fans after the show but Boyce Avenue appeared by the merch tables about ten minutes after their set to sign posters and take pictures. They also took the time to talk with each fan. This meet and greet was free, as well, unlike most meet and greets today. I think this really says something about a band, when they take the time to meet their fans and don't ask them to spend even more money to do so. Boyce Avenue showed genuine love for their fans. As a band, Boyce Avenue has the whole package so to speak. Not only do they posess vocal talent but they posess lyrical and musical talent as well. They definitely know how to play their instruments and work the stage.
Having the opportunity to see Tamar Kaprelian and Boyce Avenue on Friday, June 25th, 2010 was a real treat. Both artists know how to put on a stage and please the fans. They all sang their hearts out in San Diego, and I can say that San Diego hopes both acts come back soon.
Tamar Kaprelian's debut album is due out in August 2010. A review will be right here on Musiqtone.com. We also put Tamar on The Hot Seat a few months ago. You can still check out that interview on Musiqtone.com. To keep up with all things Tamar, visit her website: http://www.tamarkaprelianmusic.com.Boyce Avenue released their debut album on June 15th, 2010. You can purchase the album on Itunes and check out a review on Musiqtone.com. We also put Daniel Manzano on The Hot Seat that you can check out on Musiqtone.com. To keep up with Boyce Avenue, visit their myspace: www.myspace.com/boyceavenue
