Hello Fashionminies, It’s Evetzie here and I am back with you concert review 101 and this time is on DEMI LOVATO’S: NEON LIGHTS TOUR 2014! That’s right, on Wednesday, February 26th, 2014 I had the pleasure to attend her concert in Tampa, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The show started exactly at 7’o clock. Once I got there, I felt the rush of emotions running through. I was so excited it was my first time ever attending a concert at the Tampa Bay Times Forum and the venue was quite cool. I have been lucky to see Demi once before in concert at the Mardigras Summer Concert Series in Universal, Orlando. But this time it was my first time ever going to an arena concert which was way better. I got main floor tickets row 22  and you can only imagine the “feels”. I was also very excited because opening up for Demi was two great girl bands: Fifth Harmony, and Little Mix, and one cool magician Collins Keys. 

(Pictured above: I am standing next to Demi Lovato’s official dress from the music video in “NEON LIGHTS”, and used  in her Tour Promo Video while she is swimming for the opening at the concert)

As soon as I went in the venue one of my favorite things besides checking the new venue out is checking out the merchandise tour table. There were some amazing things on there expensive like always but if you are committed fan and want a souvenir you pay it I guess! Well for the most part, I personally wouldn’t spend $60 on a sweatshirt but if its one of a lifetime experience and its your favorite band or singer, and you are willing GO FOR IT!! You may not get a second chance to and if you do that is great 🙂 But its always an amazing feeling if you do get something its like a memory that last a lifetime.

I personally got myself a Little Mix Tour Tee and Charm Bracelet because I know that I might not see them again unless they come back to the US on their own tour. And being a big fan of Little Mix I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by but they had amazing products for all four of the performers. Demi had hats, sweatshirts, tshirts, posters, books, everything & Fifth Harmony had Hats and tees, Collins Keys had tshirts, and Little Mix had tshirts, bracelets, and I think something else too but I can’t remember right now. 🙂 

*All merchandise price points vary but usually from $10 and up all the way too $100.

(My friend Cathee and I at our Main Floor Seats – Row 22, as pictured above)

Collins Keys opened up the concert as the main host for the night presenting each act before they took the stage and riling up the crowd throughout the night with his magic tricks. A few lucky fans were brought up on stage by Collins and received some really cool suprises like backstage passes, meet and greet tickets, selfies, and massive hugs. The first act that took the stage to perform was the all American girl band Fifth Harmony who was formed back on the second season of The X Factor.The group consists of members Ally Brooke Hernandez, Normani Hamilton, Dinah Jane Hansen, Camila Cabello, and Lauren Jauregui.

The girls started out with an acapella version of their new hit single “Me & My Girls” with each girl individually “boxed” in their set design. The girls wore pretty casual clothing that appeal to each of their personas but they did not look collectively as a group. Even though they are named “Fifth Harmony” their harmonies were off and not sync in at all. I believe the girls are great but they were all over the places in most of the songs if not all. They sang “Me & My Girls”, “Better Together”, “Who Are You”, “Leave My Heart Out of This”, “Don’t Wanna Dance Alone”,  and closed with “Miss Movin On”. Later on Collins came back again and he went through the crowd to find a fan to help him with his next trick. He literally walked right in front of my friend’s Cathee and I face. I literally was speechless he is really gorgeous in person. But I was quickly taken back by another fan who wanted to touch Collins and she literally jumped across and fell, landing in my chair. It was so awkward but she apologized and move on back to her seat. Collins ended up picking another fan from the lower level so pay attention he may come for you! 

After that magic trick he presented Little Mix and the crowd was loud and roaring so loud you could feel the anticipation. British pop sensation Little Mix formed in  The X Factor UK who broke record with their first album surpassing the Spice Girls “Spice” album in 1997.The quartet group is made up by Leigh Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirwall, Jesy Nelson, and Perrie Edwards. The girls opened up their segment with “Salute” from their second and latest album “Salute”. They had a lovely drop curtain background with the British flag and their logo on it. The girls came out and their outfit look more collectively and true to themselves and most of their outfit can be shopped at Topshop and Forever 21, so if you are inspired by like Little Mix  go check these stores out.  The girls are very lovely and so beautiful in person  they are absolutely adorable and very humble.

They sang “Word Up” their new single for Sport Reliefs, “MOVE”, “Little Me”, “Nothing Feels like You” also from their Salute album.  They also surprised the fans by singing “DNA”, and closing with “Wings” from their first album “Wings”. They had amazing choreography and also played up on their vocals by harmonizing flawlessly in accapella during their performance of “Little Me”  the first song they all wrote together as a band. They also paid tribute to former girl group Destiny Child’s with the song “Bootylicious”. Personally, I think they need to come back again to the U.S with their own tour because this is a true girl band right there with the Spice Girls, Destiny Childs, TLC, and are deserving to have a tour of their own and many more albums, and arenas to sell out. This is girl power at its finest!

And while we waited for Demi to come out there were also some really crazy posters we saw out there but this one definitely stood out because of its creativity 🙂 I loved it the girls were jumping up and down screaming it until everyone turned their heads to look at their posters hahaha 🙂

Once again Collins Keys came out back again did his last magic act for the night and presented Demi Lovato! To be honest and fair when I read and heard the news of Nick Jonas accepting the proposal of becoming the Musical and Creative Director of Demi Lovato’s Neon Lights tour, I was estatic. He also had confirmed and I qoute Nick when he said “I’m overseeing video content, wardrobe, lighting and staging.”  This made me think “WOW! This is going to be like a crazy cool never  before seen side of  Demi coming back kicking butt!”.

But I  have to admit I was a little disappointed, and let down by this built up of anticipation. Of course Demi Lovato came out and gave her best performance and without a doubt she is a great performer. BUT when it comes to the creativity with the wardrobe, lighting, and staging I felt it lacked a whole lot. Being that the tour is called NEON LIGHTS one would think she is going to play off the obvious and have various neon lights flashing throughout the performances or her wardrobe. Demi’s wardrobe was a simple black “.D.A.R.E.” forever 21 top slashed in the back exposing some skin half tucked inside of a black American Apparel style shiny leggings. She is known for her big bold accessories for a statement, and black boots. I wish she would also had more wardrobe changes being that it would have made it more visually appealing.Her hot pink hair was half braided  with three braids on one side and then pull over to the other side. She opened up with her hit song “Heart Attack” from her self titled DEMI album. Followed by “Made In The USA”, “Two Pieces”, “Nightingale”, “Really Don’t Care”, “Something That We Are Not”, “Just in Case” just to name a few. She also sang a couple of songs from her old albums like “Catch Me”, “Here we go again”, “Catch Me”, “Don’t Forget”, “Everytime you lie”, “La,La, Land,” and her recent song “Let it Go” from Disney’s FROZEN.

As for the stage it was quite small and even though I was in floor row 22 it was quite a little far and I wished it could have been a little longer. As far as lighting and visuals goes this is where it gets tricky.  I loved most of the visual effects they had for videos that display in the background while Demi took the stage from the opening, throughout, and  especially for the tribute she made of her from the past till now. I thought that was super cool, and it reminds you her story from where she was at a certain point in her life, the changes, and now.  The lighting it was really dark, which made it hard to watch her perform in certain songs, and also affected the way photographs came out in camera. She is a true artist, and when she takes the stage she commands it like a champ. But like all performers she did have some vocals go off about three times but she managed to pull it off like the pro she is. From what I had heard of other fans that came from meet and greets the word was Demi may have been suffering from a sore throat so she wasn’t feeling too well. Which makes it totally understandable.

She also gave amazing and supportive speeches from bullying, self harm, awareness, and on current events like VENEZUELA.  Demi gave a long heartwarming speech right after a Venezuelan fan gave her his hat with the Venezuelan flag on it. This made me almost cry due to the fact that it hits close to home because not only as a Latina it makes me proud to see another Latina stand up for other Latinos but because she is a public figure who a lot of young people look up to and the fact that she is aware of what is going in the world besides “Hollywood” makes me appreciate her even more. She also parents out and urge them to get their kids help and to talk to them and for those who were dealing with their own demons to come out and ask for help because its never too late. One of my favorite part was the ending because as she sang and closed with “Neon Lights” a massive amount of pink, white, and yellow neon confetti poured from the ceiling over us.  I took some really great videos and photos I will share with you those sometime next week so be on the look out!! But for now I hope you enjoyed these ones! 😉

So overall I think the concert was pretty good but it was not one of my top favorite ones on the list. I am a Lovatic, I love Demi Lovato I think she is amazing, and you can tell she worked hard and is super proud of this album and tour. Which I am all for!! But was I expecting a little more YES! Did I feel a little cheated? MAYBE. Would I still go or urge other fans to go?! ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Will I keep going to more Demi Lovato concerts? YOU BET I AM!

So if you see Demi Lovato come by in concert with her NEON LIGHTS TOUR 2014 go check her out the concert is worth going to just don’t expect too much of lighting and wardrobe changes or story line performances like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, or P!NK! would.

Hope you enjoyed this concert review 101, leave me any comments or feedback down below! And if you have seen this tour comment your thoughts too!   Love always,

Evetzie xx

***ALL IMAGES  ARE COPYRIGHTED BY EVETZIEB – EBMPHOTOGRAPHY/EVETZIESREPERTOIREFBS.****