In the last few weeks I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to be up close and personal with two American artists live—and perform live myself—all within the city limits of Bucharest, Romania.
Tori Amos
June 19, 2014 @ Arenele Romane – Bucharest Romania
Insanely gorgeous voice and mad skills on any piano she touches, fiery haired songstress Tori Amos returned to Bucharest for the first time in many years. Never having a chance to see her live in the States, a few friends and I decided to check her out in Romania! We were able to score 3rd row seats.
Though the weather had been bad leading up to the show, we suited up in our rain gear and ventured out to this old but very cool venue. Arenele Romane translates to Roman Arena. The design and decor definitely gives that kind of colosseum feel. The bathrooms here were odd. The toilet lids have been removed!
It wasn’t a large crowd at this show, but many knew the words to her songs. It was clear that they loved them some Tori and were willing to come see her play, rain or shine! She was solo on this show—no band and no opening act—but it made for a very intimate setting. I was very impressed by her stage presence and live vocal stylings. And boy did she rock on the keys.
I apologize for my iPhone pics below. They aren’t the best. I wish I could have brought my Nikon, but with the sky threatening to open up on us at any moment I didn’t want to risk it. Click HERE for a great online shot.
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Aisha Raine
U.S. National Anthem @ the U.S. Embassy 4th of July Event
July 3, 2014
After auditioning in April, I won the chance to sing the U.S. national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”, at the U.S. Embassy Bucharest’s official 4th of July reception. About 3,000 were invited to this prestigious event. Camera crews and photographers were set up in a media section to capture the speeches of the evening. And along with them, catching my performance. This was my largest in person crowd to date, and my shortest set of approximately 1.5 minutes. Though nervous before and during, the aftermath was exciting and fantastic. Many congrats and wonderful compliments. I was glad that I did a good job for the celebration.
The next day a friend said she saw me on the local news! Two days later, when walking into the 30 Seconds to Mars concert, someone stopped me to tell me they saw my performance at the embassy and congratulated me on a job well done.
Unfortunately someone decided to call my phone twice while my husband was filming. So here is a pieced together clip of my performance.
Thirty Seconds to Mars
July 5, 2014 – RomExpo in Bucharest, Romania
The bands 1st time in Romania
This was my 5th or 6th time seeing the band live! Needless to say I’m a huge fan and they are big influences on my own singer/songwriter endeavors. But this marked not only the first time seeing them live internationally, but the first time that 30STM performed in Romania!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the crowd. The small area set aside for the concert was pretty packed past my expectations. Though it was standing room only type show, each section was gated off. The more you pay, the closer you will be. Always needing to be as close as possible to this band, I opted for “Diamond” section. There were people of all ages. Some holding signs thanking the band for finally making their “dream come true” by coming to their country. The vibe was fantastic! So many people thriving from seeing their favorite band for the first time. The nicest surprise was how it sounded like every person in the crowd knew each song and sang along. This created the vibe of live 30STM shows that I didn’t think possible to feel in Bucharest! I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed every minute. My only complaint… that it wasn’t a longer show!
Here are some snippets from the show:
I am planning to take every opportunity to see bands that I love that come through Bucharest. I also plan to venture to neighboring countries to get my fix if they don’t come to Romania. I am also looking into checking out some Romanian musicians in the near future. And maybe I’ll perform again while I’m here. I guess we shall see. Either way, I’ll keep you all posted!
Rocker chicks ready for 30 Seconds to Mars
~BnB
Black Girl in Bucharest 
