Lynn O'Brien performs CD release concert at planetarium

Lynn O'Brien, local jazz/folk musician, performed a special concert for the release of her sophomore album YES! under the gigantic dome of the William M. Staerkel Planetarium last Saturday.O'Brien began writing music at the age of nine and has performed in the Champaign-Urbana area throughout the past few years. Along with releasing her second album, she has recently finished her coursework in music therapy, which she plans to pursue as a career.

While the concert marked the celebration of her second album release, it also marked the last concert that O'Brien would be performing in Champaign-Urbana before moving to Minneapolis later this month. She is leaving to start six months of work at a hospital as a music therapy intern. She will also be working with a Parkinson's and Hospice program.

When asked about the reasoning behind choosing Staerkel Planetarium as the venue for the special event, O'Brien explained that, other than loving planetariums, she has always pictured strong visuals with her music, which lead to an interest in being able to accompany the songs with a visual presentation.

There was certainly a vivid assortment of visuals. The images displayed ranged anywhere from a starlit sky to snowcapped mountains to a close-up pile of crayons. O'Brien and Staerkel Planetarium coordinator David Leake thoroughly planned out every image and every laser light effect projected during the concert, one song at a time.

"[Preparing for the concert] was a lot of work," said Leake. "Lynn was extremely easy to work with. I thought it was fun."

The selection of songs was just as distinct as the visuals that accompanied them. From the first song "Fireflies," to the final song, "Irish Blues," a cover of Irish folk singer Maura O'Connell, O'Brien's performance was full of energy and joy. Along with songs from her new release, such as "Watermelon Juice" and "Brown-eyed Binoculars," she included a few from her first album Umbrella including "Italy" and "All My Troubles Are Bubbles."

Throughout the set she also wedged in her own interpretations of well known classics from Bob Marley, Simon & Garfunkel, and John Denver. The performance of Marley's "Three Little Birds," in particular, had a vast majority of the crowd singing along.

"It was fun. It was a new experience for everybody," said O'Brien.

With a great last performance in C-U, O'Brien hopes for the best in Minneapolis. Be on the lookout for O'Brien in the future and be sure to check out many of the great events coming up at the planetarium.