Scarypoolparty (Alejandro Aranda) does it again, but this time he is touring with the X Ambassadors. By “does it again,” I mean that he brings his true talent and musical genius abilities yet again, as he does every time he performs. However, this time, his performances are next level. They become better and better every tour...his voice, his movements (and head banging) across the stage, and his obvious love for music. Alejandro doesn’t need to be a pop star. He’s more grounded than that. For him, it’s just about the music and not about superficiality that often goes along with mainstream fame. He connects to fans with his ability to be true to himself and not what other people want him to be. He has maintained that since his days on American Idol. He is a free-spirit, making music the way that he wants to and letting only his creativity be the driving force. Whether it’s acoustic or jazz or R&B or hip-hop or rap/trap or classical or folk or pop or electronic he draws inspiration from all different genres of music. His love for music is so pure, you can feel it every time he sings. That is what makes him so special and a truly one-of-a-kind artist.
My friend, Sarah and I decided to rent an SUV and transform it into the SPP Party Bus. It was decorated with Scarypoolparty magnets, flower and peace sign magnets, and window paint with phrases like, “Scarypoolparty music is what is missing.” We traveled with two other fans and their husbands so there were a total of 6 of us making the trek up and down the east coast following Alejandro and his crew to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Yes, 4 stops in 4 days. It was quite an adventure to say the least. Just imagine...listening to Scarypoolparty music non-stop, eating snacks and laughing a lot. This trip was about fans coming together for the love of their favorite artist. Honestly, I would never even think about taking a trip like this to see any other artist. I’m sure there are many fans who feel the same way.
Our first stop was New York City at Webster Hall. This was going to be my first live performance since Alejandro’s acoustic tour this past summer. I attended his shows for the first time ever in Birmingham and Nashville. I’ve never been to any of his fall shows so I was super excited. His bandmates, Cody Krump, Dylan DeAnda and Moises Popa were with him so I knew the music would be harder with crazy lights and banging drums. I couldn’t wait to listen to the songs he was going to sing from his new album, The Act of Forgiveness. Once we were inside the venue, I felt overwhelmed with the fact that in just a little bit of time, I will be gifted with a memorable performance from an extraordinary musician. Since Alejandro was opening for the X Ambassadors, I knew his set was going to be shorter than his headlining tours, but I did not care at all. I was just excited to see him perform at any length of time. Of course, I would love for it to be longer, but honestly, any amount of time would never be long enough for me. Yes, I love his music THAT much.
Taylor Janzen was set to open up the shows by performing onstage first. I was impressed with her sound and her music. I found myself dancing along as she sang. After she was finished with her set, I waited with anticipation while Oscar and his crew set the stage for Alejandro’s performance. At one point, I even yelled out Oscar’s name. He looked up and then went back to his work onstage. Oscar is famous and he doesn’t even know it. After waiting what felt like a long time, Alejandro walked onstage and began to sing Angel Delete. His set list included:
Angel Delete
Deathwave
Holy Rejection
Malibu
Beautiful
Magic
The Darkness (Boston)
The show in Boston was incredible. To my delight, Alejandro added an extra song to his set which was “The Darkness.” It was spell-binding. It was magical. It was stunning. He often changes up the ending to the song so I was excited to see what he would do. That is one of the many things I love about Alejandro. He has so much creativity inside of him that he often changes the melody and/or lyrics to his songs. So for the audience and fans it’s a surprise, we just never know what we’re going to get. For this show, we decided to hang back a little bit because we wanted to let the new fans have a better view of the stage.
“The 27-year-old artist combines a variety of genre elements, from classical themes to hip hop, R&B, pop, and a hint of alt-rock. Each song is impeccably produced and has strong instrumental themes that combine with Alejandro’s smooth vocals. Seeing Scarypoolparty live, you really see the instruments shine. The four-piece band collaborates beautifully, often creating unique sounds I haven’t heard at other live shows.” -Darro, Thomas. “Scarypoolparty is a Certifiable Can’t Miss Live Act- Webster Hall Review.” Roadtrip Playlists.com, 1 November 2021.
The energy of both shows were on-point. Alejandro was really rocking it up on stage. He seemed really happy to be playing music. During the New York show, he pointed to the audience to acknowledge their presence and thanked them for coming out that night. I also that night, I screamed out, “We love you Alejandro!” between songs. He giggled and went on with his performance. I couldn’t help it. I don’t know what came over me. I was just super excited to be there and wanted to let him know.
One of the things I most looked forward to about the shows was hearing the songs from his most recent album The Act of Forgiveness live. I was lucky enough to hear six of the songs from that album and they were incredible. Alejandro doesn’t think of himself as a singer but he does have a beautiful voice whether he believes it or not. His voice has such a range. Whether he sings in falsetto like in “Malibu” or baritone like in “Death City Drive” or anything in-between, it’s all rather impressive. He sometimes even uses his voice as an instrument and you can certainly hear it in his music which I think is so creative. I was also hoping Alejandro would play one or two songs from his debut album, Exit Form. I became a fan when the pandemic started so I missed his Fall 2019 tour. I’m sure he will play those songs live again someday when he is out headlining his own tour. Fingers crossed it will be summer 2022. He is set to tour the U.K., Ireland and Spain for the Mad Cool Festival but I’m sure he will squeeze in a U.S. tour at some point.
There was a good turnout for both shows, which I was extremely happy about. Most of the audience were young fans. By young, I mean people in their 20’s or 30’s. This was so good for Alejandro. He needs younger fans to follow him throughout his entire music. Before and after the performances, I was able to connect with people standing around me who have become new fans after seeing him perform. Sarah and I handed out “cheat sheets” that included background information about Alejandro, his music and a QR code to his Spotify. We just wanted to share the music, which Alejandro has repeatedly said is his purpose in being a musician.
One of the best parts of seeing the shows is meeting up with fans. These are the people that I talk with so often on the Scarypoolparty Facebook Fan Clubs. Instantly, we feel a connection. It’s like we’ve been friends for a long time. That feeling is so special and it only happens at Alejandro’s shows. One of the fans in New York called my name and approached me while standing in line. I was a bit surprised because I did not recognize her. She introduced herself and said she knows me from the fan groups. Being able to connect with her was like the icing on the cake. I also love meeting current fans and new fans and sharing the love that I have for Alejandro’s music. It’s my favorite thing to do and that’s the truth.
Photo by Zenaida Olivas
I had so much fun at the two shows I attended. There are so many amazing memories that I will never forget. I’ve met so many nice people along the way and that is just a whole other level for me. It’s one thing to love Scarypoolparty’s music, but seeing the shows and meeting the fans make me love his music even more. It’s become a culture. Being immersed in the entire SPP experience is like no other feeling. I am extremely fortunate that Alejandro’s music has become a huge part of my life. He’s the only artist that I will travel far and wide to see. He’s the only artist that I would take days off of work for. He’s the only artist that I listen to everyday. His music has become part of my soul like no other. I’m really proud to be a Scarypoolparty stan.
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