An Outdoor Concert in Tysons Corner

The new plaza at Tysons Corner Center

Tonight was an absolutely beautiful evening. As the temperatures started to dip into the 70s, the sun began to set and spending time outdoors was an absolute must. I knew I was going to be outside, I just needed to figure out in what capacity. Step in Tysons Corner Center with a free outdoor concert on its new plaza. Tonight's "headliner" was Andy Grammer, known for such hits as Keep Your Head Up and Fine By Me. The concert was a ton of fun--Andy played in front of a crowd of maybe 200-250 folks who were all in generally pleasant moods. The nascent bustling-ness of Tysons nearby seemed to be an eternity away as his music enveloped the space, blocking out the honking horns and the metro trains speeding by. We were only temporarily interrupted by an ambulance racing down the highway (acceptable, in my opinion).

Deloitte/Intelsat

Unfinished Apartments

This was my first time on the plaza, so I went as much for the music as to check out the plaza itself. It's small, but cute. It also has interesting views. Ahead are two tall buildings--one occupied by Intelsat and Deloitte, and the other a currently unfinished apartment building. To the left are cranes and a rising skyline. To the right is the Beltway and trees, and far off in the distance one can see some tall buildings. Some deduction skills were necessary (with the aid of Google Maps), and based on my location and the angle at which I could view the Beltway, those buildings could only be in Rosslyn, probably a good 10 miles or so away. I know not everyone gets excited by these things, but I do. I find it cool! :)

Anyway, it was a great experience tonight. A free acoustic concert by an up-and-coming artist who I had previously heard of. Below is his current song on the radio, and the acoustic, audience-participation of this song was super fun. He also explained where one of the lines came from: "So here's to the cheap sunglasses, Red Bull and minivans." Getting the personal story on that was an added bonus.

I hope Tysons decides to continue these concerts next summer...definitely something I could get used to!