Darren Criss and Starkid

I have this love for the Starkid Productions, independent of Darren. I love Lauren Lopez and I think that Joe Walker is pretty amazing. I love that they are college friends who stuck together and created something out of a viral YouTube hit. They didn't stop when it was difficult, but because they love what they are doing, they continued doing so. They have a group of loyal dedicated fans, and they can sell about 3/4 of the tickets of the venues that they play in. They are really amazing and I can only hope to be half as awesome as them when I am 24. They are proof that hard work matters as much as luck and opportunity.

( A heck lot of Darren and StarKid feelings )

And at the last show, he said that the fans changed all of their lives. And I believe that to be true, because they would be living very different lives now if they had no fan base. And the StarKid team never forgets that, and Darren, at the heart of that team, is forever appreciative of that fact.

I don't know, I have a lot of feelings about Darren and his relationship with the StarKid gang. And I just want him to have more time with them, okay, and not have to rush off after a short two days. Because that is where he is happiest.

Now for a song. I have a love for this song rn. I never heard this because this was in MAMD, which is a StarKid play that I can't wait cos of secondhand embarrassment. But I love it, hearing it at the show. Here's Even Though, sung by Joey and Jaime, and the rest of the gang singing back up.

More Darren Criss & Starkid vids

Selection from the mini-set on 27 Nov (Final Show)

Human & Sami

Teenage Dream ( Teenage Dream )

Not Alone ( Not Alone )

Other favourites to come: Dress and Tie, I Wanna Be, Harry Freakin' Potter, Granger Danger, To Have A Home, Stutter, Get Back Up, The Way I Do, Boy Toy, Beauty, Even Though, Days of Summer, Back To Hogwarts

Dress & Tie and I Wanna Be

Opening By Charlene Kaye. Charlene is UMich alum, which is how she knows Darren and the rest of the StarKid. Darren used to perform with her at bars and cafes, and he has sung a few duets with her, one of which is Dress and Tie. The music video can be seen here.

Dylan Saunders, one of the StarKid, has an amazing voice. He takes on Darren's lines for most of the tour, and he does a brilliant job. I love this particular video because this is during the early part of the tour, and you can see how overwhelmed Charlene is by the fact that there are fans who know her lyrics.

( Dress and Tie ft. Dylan Saunders )

When Darren joins the tour in Boston, he sings this duet with Charlene. Blanket warning for screaming though. There is a lot of screaming fans.

( Dress and Tie ft. Darren Criss )

I Wanna Be is an awesome song that kicks off the StarKid musical Starship, and I love how they have rearranged it to fit the concert.

( I Wanna Be (Orlando) )

When Darren joins them in Boston, he blends in by simply taking the final verse. Like I said before, he wrote these songs, so he is comfortable with any verse he is given and he just goes along with it. He is also clearly happy to be there.

( I Wanna Be (Boston - Early) )

More thoughts on Harry Freakin' Potter to come.

The thought of Darren Criss on the way back to LA is kinda sad. I mean, look, it is not as if Glee mistreats him or anything, but it is just that he is clearly happier with the StarKids. No doubt, Glee has done so much for Darren, has been an amazing platform for Darren to launch from. But to say again, Starkid is home for him, and nothing can beat that.

And like what more rational people than me have said, Darren's earnest meta is strangely compelling. There is still a tiny part of me that is cynical enough to see that it may be an act, but when he is with the StarKids, I am doubly convinced that it isn't. Or at least, I am really really buying what he is selling, especially when he is with them. The way he turns all the songs into something so personal and meta, like Teenage Dream, I really like that cos I am a lyrics person.

I am thinking way too much, and as long as he is doing what makes him happy, and if he is half as decent as he is appearing to be, that is perfectly fine with me.

I have way too much Darren Criss feelings. I thought I was over this, but, clearly not.

Harry Freakin' Potter and Granger Danger

My studies for today are mostly done, so you get more thoughts about the StarKid shows.

Harry Freakin' Potter is one of the more popular songs from AVPS (A Very Potter Sequel). It has a nice pop tune to it, but the lines that "Harry" has to sing is also not easy to keep on beat and in tune.

Linking back to this video, where the second half is Harry Freakin' Potter, as led by Dylan Saunders in the role of Harry. Once again, brilliant voice. Love it!

( Harry Freakin' Potter (Orlando) )

When Darren joins them (once again) in Boston, he takes over his usual role as Harry. This isn't because he is the star or the most famous of them all, or whatever. He is simply reprising the role he played in AVPS, which is Harry Potter. Seeing the way he simply fits into the group, even though he only arrived in the morning of the show is simply amazing. The way he is so comfortable with Joey, it is awesome.

( Harry Freakin' Potter (Boston - Early) )

( Harry Freakin' Potter (Boston - Evening) )

In sequence, there are some songs that come after that. Gettin Along, Ready To Go and Coolest Girl. Gettin Along is awesome, featuring Joe Walker and Dylan Saunders. I love it, and it was sung when Joe was portraying Umbridge and Dylan was Dumbledore in AVPS, so the lyrics are funny. I don't know what is Ready To Go, either a LWL or a MAMD song, which I can't watch cos of secondhand embarrassment. Coolest Girl is spoiled for me, cos I can only listen to the version that Darren sings. Meredith does a brilliant job of it, nevertheless.

( Coolest Girl (Boston) )

Now for one of my favourite songs ever. This was sung in AVPM (A Very Potter Musical). It is sung between Ron and Draco, about how they are falling in love with Hermione. Joey Richter plays Ron, and Lauren Lopez plays Draco. Yep, and she doesn't alter her lines at all when she says that she is obsessed with a girl during the SPACE tour, which is awesome. Lauren Lopez is amazing, the way she can sing and act, I am always loving her performance. She is definitely my favourite female StarKid.

I love this song, because even though the first verse and the second verse sounds very different initially, they are actually of the same tune, as you will hear in the later part of the song. This is awesome, and also the song that got me in AVPM.

( Granger Danger )

Will I continue to do an analysis of the rest of the set? Yep probably, at least Back to Hogwarts will get a mention somewhere.

ETA: I am going to wait in front of my Tumblr dashboard for Rolling Stone to finally release the song. And apparently the video too. Heard a preview, IT IS AMAZING.