Let’s talk about how to Luke the entire point of music is that it’s like an energy, it connects us with people. I want that connection with everybody.
He is all about the audience; for him, music is about the people it is for.
And then comes Julie.
At first, in Bright, he poofs in looking at her - he doesn’t know the audience can see him - but with the exception of their duet he remains essentially focused on playing for the crowd. He’s focusing on them when he poofs out.
In Finally Free, he poofs in entirely focused on the audience. He focuses on Julie plenty in this song - I know you have I’ve got a spark in me/and you’re a part of me living in your brain rent free - but even though he clearly has a moment of realization about the crazy talented girl in front of him, he’s still pretty focused on grinning at the whole audience when they’re done.
And then we get to Edge of Great. He comes in 100% focused on her and that barely changes throughout the song. He is all about Julie, come sing with me Julie, please just look at me Julie, I’m begging you Julie.
He can’t take his eyes off her. There’s no audience anymore; it’s just Julie and the fact that she won’t sing with him and you know what comes next:
All of the music in that moment is about connecting with Julie. Not the crowd. That guitar solo is for her. Nothing in him is wavering, he has eyes only for her, he has music only for her.
It ends like this: for a moment, there is nothing but the two of them. He poofs out without a glance at the audience. She’s the only one that matters.
The next time Luke’s on stage, it’s with Caleb. He spends the whole song looking angrily at Caleb, desperately at Reggie. He spares fairly anguished glances at the audience, but not much else. The audience was what Caleb was trying to use to draw Luke in, that connection with people, who could see them, who could cheer for them - it doesn’t matter. He’s not looking at them.
Then we get to Stand Tall. Luke is laser-focused on Julie the entire time.
No matter who is singing, no matter what’s happening, his eyes are on Julie, his body is tilted towards her, you’re a star, Julie, and he can’t look away.
The song ends. It’s the Orpheum. Luke just got to play the Orpheum, the thing he died trying to do, the venue that was meant to write them into the history books, to turn them into legends, to connect them with everyone, and what is he doing?
He’s looking at Julie. Not at the audience, not at the people cheering for him - no arms raised high and soaking it all in. It’s all Julie.
No music is worth making, Julie, if we’re not making it with you.
my muse, as usual: @thedeathdeelers 💙
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