Aaron Carter Comes to SLO: A Concert Review

By Danica Krenson on April 17, 2013

On Monday night, I went to see Aaron Carter perform at SLO Brew. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting out of the concert, but it was definitely an experience. My friend and I arrived at approximately 6:45 (the concert ticket said start time was 7:30) and the line was already to the corner. My sister and some of her friends from UCSB who had driven up just for the concert eventually joined us in line. While we were waiting in line, AC himself walked past us and into the alleyway, pausing for a quick wave to his line of fans. It seemed a little casual for someone who was famous and well known enough to charge $50 for meet-and-greet tickets (which yes, my group and I purchased)…

Once we finally got inside, my friend and I left my underage sister and her underage friends to hang out in the bar area before the show. The first thing I noticed was how few people were over 21, and this should have been my first clue that this concert was going to be different. There was no official pre-show, just a DJ that for some reason insisted on playing only hits from 2009. Everyone was so crushed up against the stage, and people were pushing and shoving to try and bring their friends up closer. I know this is standard behavior at a concert, but something makes me think that it was the fact that this was an all-ages show that contributed to the crush. Note to SLO Brew: all-ages shows are kind of obnoxious, 18+ is a much better decision in my opinion.

Once Aaron came onstage and began performing, my annoyances dissipated slightly. It was great to sing and dance along to his older hits that I remember being a fan of when I was younger. We were worried that he would insist on “moving on” from his pre-teen rapper image and insist on playing only new songs, but Aaron seemed quite happy to indulge his fans, playing favorites such as “Aaron’s Party”, “I Want Candy”, and “That’s How I Beat Shaq.” I have to give him credit for really performing and putting on a good show: he and his backup dancers from America’s Best Dance Crew” had a lot of really well rehearsed dance routines. Something that I thought really added to the show and seemed to bring the songs into the present was the fact that Aaron Carter played current rap songs like Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” and performed them for us. During the typical “What’s up ____??” introduction from Aaron, he asked the crowd if we called San Luis Obispo “SanLO”, which we quickly assured him we did not.

After the show, those of us who swallowed our pride and purchased the $50 meet-and-greet tickets waited until the yellow wristband-less concertgoers were herded out. We got in line, and were told that we would get one picture with Aaron, a signed poster of him, and that he would sign something for us. My group of friends happened to be first in line, and we excitedly planned what we were going to say to him. My sister’s friend showed him pictures of her at one of his concerts back in the day. Her other friend told him that he smelled weird. I told him that one of my friends from high school had met him in the hotel he was staying at in Chico when they were there for a track meet (true story). By this time, Aaron, that cheeky lil bastard, had imbibed several alcoholic beverages. I can’t lie, he kissed three from the group and grabbed someone’s butt. Once we finished and were about to leave, someone from Aaron’s entourage told us to step aside because some of our pictures hadn’t turned out. The unfortunate part was that they made us wait until everyone else in line had had their turn, but for our troubles Aaron and his people let us take a group picture with him.

All in all, it was a great experience and now I have a delightful signed poster, signed t-shirt, multiple pictures and videos, and a bunch of stories. I don’t regret spending the $50 on my ticket, but I wouldn’t do it again. One drunken encounter with Aaron is all I need!

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