Olly Murs with Before You Exit
April 19th, 2013 // The Fillmore // Silver Spring, MD
Photos and words by Cara Bahniuk
If you’ve been paying attention to the music industry in the past few months-year, you have probably noticed that pop music, specifically British pop music, is taking over. Breaking out into the American music scene is a very hard thing to do, but with a little perseverance, these artists are popping up all over the radio and in concert venues across America.
Being a fan of pop music, I was excited to finally see Olly Murs live and it was just an added bonus when Before You Exit was announced to be the opener. This tour was such a huge tour and jumping off point for Before You Exit. Now out on tour with Cody Simpson for the summer, I don’t see it being too long until you start hearing them on your radio.
Before You Exit came on stage with the exact energy that was needed to kick off such a night. Fans scattered throughout the sold out venue knew most of the songs they played. Having recently released a new EP, they played some new songs that were so catchy it even led me to go home and download them.
Although the crowd reacted well to BYE, nothing could have prepared you for the screams that occurred before Olly came out. This was Olly’s first real show in the DC metro area. Opening with his new album opener, Army of Two, Olly was immediately dancing around the entire stage, as were his back-up singers. Although Olly was definitely the star of the night, his back-ups singers were so entertaining to watch.
Olly performed a mix of songs off both albums including Dance With Me Tonight, Heart Skips a Beat, Hey You Beautiful and, of course, Troublemaker. Although he didn’t play my personal favorite, What A Buzz, I can’t say I was disappointed with his performance. He engaged the entire audience from the second he came out on stage.
Bonus’ of the night included a performance of his X Factor cover Superstition and the crowd was involved in one of his Vines! It took a few tries (Olly was a new member of the Vine family) but eventually his idea came to life and was sent to his Vine account.
I will, no doubt in my mind, attend another Before You Exit and Olly Murs show. And you should, too! Both artists have songs that can be stuck in your head for days and both of their stage presences make the shows more enjoyable.
Before You Exit
Olly Murs
