By Emma Lautanen
Staff Writer
Where I live has it all–sunshine, beach days, instagram-worthy sunsets–yet, sometimes bursting the bubble opens up opportunities with memories to last a lifetime. Living on the outskirts of Los Angeles, there are countless connections one can make and a plethora of occasions of which to take advantage.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine attended a Hozier concert (the famous singer of overplayed-but-quality radio hit “Take Me To Church”). She stayed afterward like all fangirls do to get a picture with him. Little did she know, it would open up a chance of a lifetime–one she so kindly shared with me. Hozier’s manager was also with him and invited her, plus 1-2 friends, to a private shooting of his new music video. So here begins a perfect example of the opportunities living in Los Angeles can create.
Last Monday, we all attended, and participated in, the Hozier music video for “Work Song.” I can honestly say it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The whole concept of the video was a private concert in an abandoned library. The set was breathtaking and the lightning was very intimate. Spread throughout the audience were professional dancers acting as couples. The choreography they created to go with the who performance was absolutely beautiful. It was like a two-in-one show.
Throughout the countless shots, I never tired of the song. Hozier even skipped the standard lip-syncing artists do in music videos for the first half of the shots–which is only one examples of how much talent that man has. The entire filming portion of the night lasted about five hours. Just acting as an “audience member,” that was enough time on my feet to make me exhausted.
Yet, even after the extensive shooting, Hozier still stayed longer to give us an actual private concert. He played a couple recommendations from our small group of twenty. He played the songs as an open session, amplifying their usual purity. The whole atmosphere was very personal, just Hozier and his fans. Then he stayed even longer for pictures and autographs. By this point, my amount of respect for him could go no higher. He was a such a genuine guy and really showed devotion to both his music and his fans.
By the time we were back in our car at around 1:45am, I was past the point of exhaustion but still exhilarated by the whole experience. Never had I thought I’d ever get the chance to do something this amazing. There were other fans there that had flown across the nation, even down from British Columbia, to take part in the shooting–people who won contests that I had never even heard about that allowed them to come. And here I was, tagging along with someone who was personally invited by the artist’s manager. It blows my mind how lucky we are to be exposed to chances like this. Los Angeles is a mecca of opportunity, and we should learn to truly take advantage of all it has to offer.
This is the main piece of mind I took with me after the whole experience-besides the heightened obsession with Hozier. Sure, the beach is beautiful and everything we need is right at our fingertips in our wonderful bubble. Yet, there is so much more within our reach. Just drive about 30 miles outside your home and you’ll understand how many connections you can make and opportunities you can create.
Hozier’s music video for “Work Song” will be released March 23.
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