Taylor Swift sets future concert standards

Taylor Swift, how do you expect your fans to speak now when after every concert you leave them speechless?

If you were impressed with her first headlining world tour "Fearless," then you would be speechless after witnessing her second world tour "Speak Now." Taylor Swift out beat all her other concerts with more sets, costumes, dancer, instruments and even special effects. If you are iffy on Swift to begin with, the "Speak Now" tour will convert you.

Not only did she sound amazing, the show itself was unbelievable. Swift opened up with "Sparks Fly," got a little feisty for "Better than Revenge," and got a little sentimental on the piano in "Back to December," laced with "Apologize" by One Republic and her second album song "You're Not Sorry." The melancholic sounds actually made you sympathize with her. Her musicianship was so strong at the concert, you couldn't help but say, "Aw Tay Swift, we feel bad for you breaking Taylor Lautner's poor fragile heart."

Each song had it's own digital backdrop it help transform her song into a Broadway-esque show. Swift brought "Speak Now" to life with a wedding ceremony, which she crashed in order to "speak now." "Back to December" brought December to July with snow fluttering on screen and on stage.

Her voice was strong (stronger than what people at home hear when she sings on TV) and broaden her musical skills to multiple instruments such as guitar, piano, banjo and she even broke out the good ole ukulele for "Fearless" mixed with "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train. Those stuck on the opposite side of the stage got a great surprise when Swift walked through the floor from the main stage to the end stage decked out with a fiber-optic tree where she sang "Fearless," "Last Kiss" and "You Belong With Me." Fans stormed the floor, in hopes to catch a better view of the country singer. Then, just like what she does best, Swift hopped off the stage and hugged her fans on the other side of the floor, made her journey towards the main stage, and finished off "You Belong With Me."

Sparks flew when she sang "Dear John" (literally) as fireworks lit up the Quicken Loans arena to highlight her rage towards a certain singer named John. Then the stage settled down for a piano ballad and a chorus of strings for an intro to "Enchanted."

She dedicated "Long Live" to her fans before she came out for her encore. She went old school with "Fifteen," showing pictures of her band when they were fifteen and pictures of them now on the screen.

And if that wasn't enough to make the night the best night of the summer, Swift hopped on a little platform and hovered over her fans, making sure everyone got close to her even in the worse seats.

With great sets, props, intros into beloved songs, instruments and Taylor Swift herself, the "Speak Now" tour is definitely puts a new meaning to her lyrics "this night is flawless don't you let it go."

We were wonderstruck blushing all the way home.

When life gives you lemons, listen to music

Sometimes you wake up, and you already know the day is gonna suck. Sometimes people are just mean to you for no apparent reason. Sometimes you feel like your dreams and ambitions will stay dreams and ambitions instead of turning into your new life. Sometimes things just don't go your way.

So, you had a bad day....(and that's all I will ever quote from Daniel Powter's obnoxious song)...we've all been there. So instead moping and turning emo--because no one wants to be the emo kid in the group--reach for your headphones....or just remember, "Harry Potter" comes out this Friday, so life can't suck that bad, right?

Need a pick-me-up song? There are a billion out there. But I will suggest the 10 best ones--or the 10 that I listen to. 10 songs for 10 pick-me-up reasons. Heartbroken? Life sucks? Dreams shattered? Insecure? Don't want to grow up? There's a song for that.

10. "Mean" by Taylor Swift

Karma's a bitch, especially when you piss of Tay Swift.

9. "Unaware" by My Favorite Highway

For those who don't feel good enough.

8.  "Always Love" by Nada Surf

For those angry people who need to simmer down. Don't be a hater...make love not war.

7. "You're Making It Come Alive" by My Favorite Highway

Life is awesome...if you give it a chance.

6. "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies

The title is pretty self explanatory.

5. "Wishing Well" by Airborne Toxic Event

Wanting more out of life?

4. "Lose Yourself" Eminem

Not really a pick-me-up so to speak, but more of a badass inspirational, go-out-and-get-what-you-want kind of song.

3. "Change" by Taylor Swift

If someone tells you you can't do something, listen to this song, get inspired, and prove them wrong. And if you want some extra pick-me-up power, do the Tay Swift hair flip.

2. "Fix You" by Coldplay

Chris Martin will try to fix you....for any kind of mood.

1. "Swim" by Jack's Mannequin

Just the perfect pick-me-up song for any kind of mood. And the musical god Andrew McMahon sings it so it gets extra points.

Just keep your head above, swim.

Andrew McMahon is a Musical God

How do you know you are a musical god? Simple.

1. You can pack in a couple hundred people in a 92 degree theater and not have anyone leave because it's too hot.

2. You play your Baldwin piano the majority of the concert, but you somehow are more entertaining than pop artists with pretentious sets. And you like to jump off your Baldwin occasionally to spice things up.

3. You use two microphones while sitting playing the piano. You're that amazing, one microphone isn't enough to capture all your talent.

4. You're the lead singer of Jack's Mannequin.

Andrew had people cheering for him while Lady Danville and Steel Train opened up for the band. Hundreds of people dripped sweat in the Omni Theater in Toledo to see one band, one piano and one mastermind behind the piano rock music. Tickets only cost $20, but the show could have fooled you into thinking it was worth more. And they didn't even need dancers, backgrounds or costume changes to do that.

Jack's Mannequin opened with "Annie Use Your Telescope," and played all of their well-loved songs that made the high leveled testosterone guys plow their way in the middle at their failed attempts to start a mosh pit. "Bruised," "The Mixed Tape," "Swim," and the one that seems like the crowd surfing induced, "Bloodshot," which even makes Andrew climb on top of his piano, dance around and then jump back on stage.

The band quickly felt the effects of the radiating heat. Drenched in sweat just like his audience, McMahon said that Toledo was the hottest show they ever had.

"It's hotter than the devil's armpit," McMahon told the crowd. "But we're going to fight through the heat."

And they did.

They surprised the audience with a couple new songs before mentioning that their third album will come out sometime in the fall after the three year wait since their second album "The Glass Passenger" came out in the fall of 2008.

The band ended the performance with "Made For Each Other/You Can Breathe." The crowd chanted, "one more song," and within two minutes, the band took their spots and played three more songs for an encore, including the ballad "Hammers and Strings," "Dark Blue" and "La La Lie" where McMahon ended the night playing his harmonica.

Tell me it doesn't take a supreme being to make a jammed pack, non air conditioned theater filled with hundreds of people forget about their stench, dehydration and profuse sweating and cause them to huddle even closer to the stage, jump to the beat of music, and walk out of the show saying, "God, that was amazing."

Only Jack's Mannequin.