Picnic blankets, foldable chairs, and girls in white dresses covered the Dos Equis Pavilion lawn, waiting for Lana Del Rey to be center stage on Sept. 19. Lines to get into the amphitheater extended for blocks. Del Rey’s fans had been highly anticipating a tour following the release of her ninth studio album, “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.”
I was fortunate enough to score tickets for my friends and I.
“I was super-duper excited,” Dallas College student Melanie Ortega said. “I wasn’t prepared to experience such an amazing artist perform. My nerves were all over the place and I couldn’t wait to see Lana.”
As I walked to the entrance, I saw a girl faint. People had been waiting for hours to be as close as they could, whether it was the front of the pit or the back. As my friends and I approached the lawn, all our feelings began to settle in that we would finally see Del Rey. We set down our blanket and sat on the lawn, content with our view of the stage. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t.
“The unexpected storm really had me all over the place,” Ortega said. “I seriously believed that the concert would cancel, and I wouldn’t be able to experience Lana live.”
It started pouring as soon as the clock hit 7 p.m., and all the screens were filled with severe weather warnings. Everyone was told to load into the covered part of the theater and to empty the lawn. All the concessions we had bought were ruined – $80 down the drain. Our shoes were filled with mud. Our hair and makeup were ruined. And all our blankets were drenched.
We waited for two hours, anticipating the worst. Funnily enough, when Lana Del Rey was set to perform Dallas in 2015, similar bad weather struck, leading to the concert’s cancellation.
“I remember praying in my head for everyone who was already in the venue and for anyone who was driving on the highway to be safe,” Dallas College student Destiny Mandujano said.
Finally, the screens went green, and the announcer said the show would go on. We officially took our spots by 9 p.m., which were completely different from the ones we had originally chosen.
You could feel the excitement radiating from every person. Eventually, the lights dimmed, and cheers filled the theater.
Del Rey shared her fans’ relief. “I mean I love a storm. Don’t get me wrong,” she said.
Del Rey sang until 20 minutes after 10 p.m. due to, yet again, another storm warning. She ended the concert on one of her classics, “Video Games,” just two songs short of her original set list for the concert.
“That moment with my sister meant so much to me,” Mandujano said. “She seemed genuinely grateful for the experience and that meant a lot to me.”
It was a beautiful sight. Del Rey’s mesmerizing voice sent waves through the crowd. Before leaving the stage, she delivered a motivational monologue only she could work up. She emphasized the importance of doing what you love regardless of the possible outcome of failure.
“In an alternate reality, this is something we never ever could have done,” Del Rey said.
Many of Del Rey’s fans hope for more tour dates besides the 10 focused in the South. Aside from her sold-out, state-to-state shows, her festival attendance across the world proves her to be one of the most successful female artists of our generation.
Her music and presence are timeless, and her concert experiences are unforgettable. “Overall, I’m glad I was able to see Lana through such an up-and-down experience,” Ortega said. “At the end of the day I had fun with my friends and I got to see one of my favorite artists perform her beautiful music.”
