Polk County, in the heart of Florida Man breeding territory, isn’t exactly known as a cultural mecca. Especially when you consider that one of the most popular annual social outings is a weekend wheeling Jeeps with the local sheriff. So naturally when I saw an ad for a Candlelight Concert in downtown Lakeland, I was skeptical. The fact that I saw the ad on my Facebook feed made it seem even more improbable. Was this a scam?
A little investigation revealed that it was legit. The company Fever hosts these candle light concerts at almost 200 cities around the country with the mission of making live music more accessible to the masses. They showcase a wide variety of musical styles from the classics to pop rock to hip-hop – all arranged for a string quartet. I decided to surprise Pati for her birthday with a performance of The Music of Taylor Swift.
You have to appreciate the marketing genius behind this venture. Here in Florida Man Central if you announced there would be a string quartet playing at the local auditorium on Saturday night you might have a dozen folks turn out – and half of them would just be the local homeless people looking to beat the heat and enjoy a couple hours of air conditioning. Add in the angle of a candlelit concert experience and you might draw close to a hundred curious romantics. Throw Taylor Swift into the picture and you sell out the 600 or so seats!
Fever targets small, intimate, and inexpensive venues. In our case, a small auditorium not unlike what you may have had in your high school. A large rectangular room with a small stage on one end. Rows of folding chairs provided the seating. On stage there are only four chairs and four music stands. A very simple affair, bathed in the soft warm glow of thousands of candles. The effect was romantic and mesmerizing. (In case you are wondering they use very convincing LED candles in place of the traditional type for obvious reasons.)
So, what about the music? How does a small string ensemble take on the pop hits of the legendary pop star Taylor Swift? Remarkably well! Every song was arranged to be recognizable and true to the original, while showing off the full range of the instruments and the talent of the musicians. I’m sure classically trained musicians would cringe at the bridge slaps, string plucking, bow slides and other improvisations required to bring the tunes to life, but the end result was fun to listen to, and fascinating to watch. The twelve-song set seemed to fly by and left you wanting more.
The groups perform all around the country and feature a wide variety of different featured artists – a little something for everyone. Go check it out – coming soon to an auditorium, gymnasium, or hotel ballroom near you!
A few things to know if you go:
Get there early to get the best seats. Seating is first-come, first-serve within your seating group. It is worth it, in my opinion, to pay for the up-front seating section for the best view and listening experience. The instruments are not miked, and the acoustics of some of the venues may be less than ideal, so closer is better.
And perhaps one of my favorite parts – no jacked up extra fees. The ticket price is the price. No venue fees, convenience fees, concession fees, processing fees, fee fees or any of the other Ticketmaster nonsense that magically turns a $35 ticket into $80+ at checkout.
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