On Saturday, March 7th, at 3:45 p.m. McKenna Schillinger, Taylor Whitmore, Carter L. Myers, Cecilia Garcia Luengas, and Karissa L. Geisinger attended a showing of AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City at the Davenport Cinemark. This cooperative viewing came after this group of individuals had been studying AURORA to compose a series of comprehensive review essays to post on The Mirror & the Lamp. Schillinger talked about All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, Geisinger analysed AURORA’s second and third studio albums: “Infections of a Different Kind of Human,” Garcia Luengas reviewed The Gods We Can Touch, and Myers discussed What Happened to The Heart? The information gathered from the review essays has been used to compose a series of mini-reviews on AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City.

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McKenna Schillinger: AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City was all at once a message, a call to action, and a celebration of love and humanity that shook me to my core. I experienced the full scope of emotion as I sat in the theater, and it gave me a new appreciation for each and every song that was played! Part of the performance aspect that I was struck by was her inclusion of her band and background vocalists as being truly central to the show. Their combined vocals and stacked harmonies were fascinating to watch, and I enjoyed how heavily the musicians were utilized and focused upon. Speaking of vocals, I was utterly in awe of AURORA’s range throughout the film. I had never heard a live performance from her before and had never heard her sing with the full capacity of her vocal capabilities. Her voice was so strong, and she exercised such control over it; I found myself blown away by her stage presence and sheer talent. I also noted how detailed the stage production was in terms of lighting, stage design, and choreography, all while everyone remained in more or less the same space on stage. There was no catwalk or moving around the venue, and yet the visual component of every song felt distinct and elaborate. I had an overall wonderful time, and found myself moved to tears at several points throughout the film. Concert films like this one are such crucial reminders of the importance and impact of live music.

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Taylor Whitmore: I had never been to a concert film before seeing AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City, and I must say, it was much better than I was expecting! Live music has been something I have enjoyed for about eleven years now. And while sitting in a reclined chair, eating popcorn and sweets was a much different experience than what I’m used to, I was still captivated by the magic happening before me! Watching AURORA dance and sing was like watching moving art in human form. As if her wide vocal range and enchanting lyrics weren’t enough to impress, her dancing was something I was not expecting. She was a ballerina; she was a ball of anger, love, and energy, racing around the stage, captivating the audience in real time and in the movie theater. The concert was in Mexico City during Día de los Muertos, and the flashes from AURORA to the audience were a beautiful juxtaposition… there were images of AURORA singing and dancing in her flowing white outfit which flashed to images of the people in the crowd wearing skull face paint and diamonds around their faces. It’s hard to pick my favorite part of this experience because every song was so different and had its own energy, but hearing her sing about feeling as though she exists only to love made my eyes brim with tears, and the proposal that happened in the audience during “Exist for Love” made them spill down onto my cheeks. I had only heard a few songs of AURORA’s before this movie, but this experience made me a fan. As we all live busy lives, it always feels good to take a moment to step back and appreciate art.

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Carter L. Myers: I was introduced to AURORA when “Cure for Me” came out in Summer of 2021, although I did not begin following her until I this concert film appeared upon my radar. AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City was recorded on the second night of Día de los Muertos in La Ciudad de México. This concert film, of course, is a live rendition of AURORA’s most recent–as of publication–tour, “What Happened To The Earth?” This tour–in a similar vein to her most recent solo album, What Happened To The Heart? honors and celebrates The Earth… and it is glorious! As I said in my What Happened To The Heart? review essay, I want to regurgitate the idea: “We need more people like Aurora Aksnes. We need to care. It’s okay to be afraid, it’s okay to hurt, but we can’t give up on love.”

Within AURORA’s live production of “Runaway”she states, “This next song we sing for all the children in the without a home. With homes that are occupied or attacked… broken homes. We sing for the children in Palestine. We sing for the children in Ukraine. We sing for the children in Syria and Yemen  and Sudan and Lebanon and Congo. [We sing for] all of them.” This recontextualization of the meaning/dedication for “Runaway” is what makes live music for me. Music is ever-changing, and concerts and live music allow artists to engage with the world in real time. AURORA created What Happened To The Heart? to engage with The Earth, and during her tour, “What Happened To The Earth?” she is able to deeply engage with the people who make up this planet. Watching AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City in theatres was a profound experience, and beginning to follow AURORA has been something incredible. Hearing another sympathetic voice on Earth is always a joy!

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Cecilia Garcia Luengas: I knew AURORA was a great performer, but I did not expect to wish to have been at that concert as much as I did once the film began. I love live music, and I love artists with significant stage presence even more. The direct interaction with the audience was minimal, and it worked. AURORA let her charming and almost liquid movements engage and entrance the audience! It was such a freeing sight to watch her dance and spin from one end of the stage to the other and back to the center… to jump and wave her arms, floating in the sound waves she expelled on to the microphone. She was so graceful, and it was so energizing to watch her perform! 

Now, when it comes to her singing, her vocals seemed flawless, even with all that physical activity! Her voice was so rich and captivating, and the messages with which she prefaced her songs enhanced the emotional effect her singing was bound to have. “Runaway” was particularly impactful for me. The direct political statement that preceded the performance made all the difference in understanding the message of the song… that longing for an escape and something better. The context she provided as she introduced the song recalled specific memories and internal conflicts that made me immediately tear up as she began singing. It was an incredibly cathartic experience! 

Another moment of the film that stood out to me was AURORA’s performance of “When The Dark Dresses Lightly.” AURORA’s liveliness, the crowd’s energy, and of course, the flashing lights constructed a wonderfully invigorating environment that urged me to stand from my seat and start jumping and dancing as AURORA was doing on screen (which I did not do, but definitely fought hard to not succumb to my impulses). 

Overall, watching this film was incredible! The dancing, vocals, and the unity each song transmitted was outstanding. I was deeply moved and encouraged and fascinated by AURORA. This film left me with the major wish to see one of her live performances!

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Karissa L. Geisinger: There’s a reason AURORA is often described as ethereal, and I don’t think there is any better indicator as to why than her concert film, AURORA: What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City. This film, the music within it, and AURORA herself were absolutely captivating. I was drawn in the moment the first song–“Churchyard,” a personal favorite of mine–started playing. As the setlist moved through tracks from each of her albums, I became more and more enchanted. Her more upbeat or powerful tracks were incredible; for me, the standouts were her slower songs, such as “Exist for Love,” “Dreams,” or “Invisible Wounds.” Before each of these songs, AURORA spoke to the crowd, explaining the meaning behind the song and who it was for. Before beginning “Exist for Love,” AURORA explained that love is “really a superpower” and that it is what can heal the world. Before “Dreams,” she explained that it was a song for anyone who felt different, who felt that the world was too much–too loud–and how everything is quieter when we’re dreaming. “Invisible Wounds” ended the concert and the film, and AURORA explained that she wanted every person who left her show to “give attention” to their own invisible wounds, to the deepest, darkest, saddest, angriest parts of themselves, because they, too, deserve love. She wanted her audience to learn to accept their invisible wounds “as just a part of being human.” After watching What Happened To The Earth? Live From Mexico City, I believe this is what AURORA’s music is all about:

It’s about acknowledging others’ struggles and hardships and helping and healing them. It’s about capturing our emotions – even the harshest of them–and giving them love.