No is all I could muster up as if it’s the only word in my vocabulary. Words seemed to cease to exist, and the air seemed thicker than usual. Time seemed to stop, and the world stopped spinning for just a moment like it knew I needed every single second of this encounter to be absorbed into my brain for eternity. She was right in front of me, staring at me with her own eyes like she knew exactly who I was, and it was terrifying.
Lego had started its new journey in event hosting by bringing Lego Lates to the U.S. The first-ever U.S. event was held on October 20, 2022, in the lego store at 636 Fifth ave. These events are to help adults (anyone ages 18 and older) destress, play with legos, and have a one-of-a-kind music experience. The ticket price to attend the event was $20 dollars, but it was worth every penny. Guests were given a $20 dollar Lego gift card, a free alcoholic/non-alcoholic drink, snacks, the chance to build legos to take home, a free lego set to take home, and free performances by talented artists. Their first Late included music by Skip Marley, grandson to Bob Marley, and Dora Jar.
Dora Jar is a whimsical and magical artist that has risen to fame in the past year. She opened for Billie Eilish in her ‘Happier than Ever World Tour’ but has managed to make a name for herself outside of her opening act. Just releasing her latest single on October 21, 2022, Spell, the artist is taking the music scene by storm with her unique vocals and production.
My friends and I were so excited to attend the event because it included everything we loved, legos, free food, and Dora Jar. We have been huge fans of Dora Jar since we saw her perform at the UBS arena in Long Island as Billie’s opening act. So, when we heard that she would be in NYC for this event, we didn’t hesitate to grab tickets.
Producer Sam, @sam_rosalie, emceed the event, keeping the crowd lively and excited for all to come. She was hilarious, witty, and seemed equally excited as everyone there to be at the first Lego Lates event in the states. With this, Skip Marley opened up the show by playing an original song and ending his act by playing a song dedicated to his Grandpa, 'One Love.' He and his band gave a positively radiating performance; he told those that attended that he wished to spread love and positivity through his music just like his grandpa and grandma did. The whole crowd sang along to the iconic Bob Marley, and it was truly magical.
My heart was racing; I was excited, anxious, nervous, and scared for what was to come. Dora Jar would be sitting right in front of me, playing the songs I have come to adore with a passion I didn’t even know could exist. I looked at my friends with eyes that screamed, “Is this really happening?” Before I could really prepare for what was going to unfold, she exited the elevator with her guitar on her shoulder. Cheers and applause roared in the Lego store.
Dora Jar was exactly how I remembered her, a ball of radiating joy and positivity. She opened her set with her song Multiply; the crowd, and I, sang along to every word of the song like it was encrypted into our brains. She seemed to be in awe of all the voices that sang along and even complimented the crowd for their beautiful singing. She ended the night with her new song Spell; I was on the edge of my seat. I was enthralled to be able to witness and hear a song before the rest of the world could. The room was silent, like every single person in the room was holding on to every word she sang. When the song finished, the whole room erupted into cheers and applause.
Before she left, a few fans and I gave her some late birthday gifts since her birthday had just passed. When I gave her mine, she mentioned how the bag was heavy and asked me for my name. As I gave her name and my Instagram handle, because I have had a few conversations with her through direct message, she said, “Yes, I know exactly who you are.” My heart stopped, and all I could frantically utter was, “Don’t say that.” She laughed and walked towards some other fans to do their BeReal. While she did that, my friends and I managed to convince Producer Sam to start a Happy Birthday chant, and it seemed to melt Dora’s heart. She said her thank-yous and left, or so we thought.
The rest of the event involved building a collective mosaic in lego, building our own Minifigures, and venturing into the store's second level. Adults of all ages could be seen building legos, talking, and just overall enjoying their time. Lego does this event in order to allow adults to disconnect and they managed to do just that with every adult that attended.
While my friends and I tried our best to configure the plastic lego pieces to somehow look like us, a gentleman that worked for the store approached us. He asked us if we needed any help and if we had enjoyed the event so far. My friends and I sparked up a conversation with him, answering his question with a very confident yes; we learned that he was Jeff, the manager of the store. We talked, and my friend asked him if he knew if Dora was still around. He gave us a smile and said, “I think so.” We wrapped up our conversation and thanked him for his help as he walked away.
My friends and I were just about to head down to the first floor to grab our complimentary lego set and leave when my friend pointed out a room on the second floor. It was a room of plain walls with projected scenes of a lego city on them, and we couldn’t resist our curious urge to see what it was. We walked in and examined the room; I struck up a conversation with the worker inside when all of a sudden, he stopped and looked behind me. I realized at that moment that the room had gone quiet.
Dora Jar was standing right behind me, looking at me and smiling. My jaw dropped, and the tears started to swell in my eyes. The only word I could say was “No” because I refused to believe that this was actually happening. My friends and I stared at each other with our jaws dropped to the floor. She slowly tiptoed closer to us, and I swear she was radiating positivity because my nerves seemed to calm. I managed to put on my big girl pants and actually have a conversation with her. She listened to every word I said and answered every question I had. She mentioned that she loved our gifts, and we told her that we could not wait to see her on tour. A few more jaw drops, tears, and “No way's” escaped me because she was just the nicest human being I had ever met. She gave us a group hug and said she couldn’t wait to see us on tour, and exited the room.
My feet seemed glued to the floor; I couldn’t move, breathe, think, or even process what had just happened. Even with all that, I asked the workers where Jeff was. They pointed me in his direction, and all I could say was thank you. He smiled and laughed; he told my friends and me that he was glad to give us that memory and was even shocked at how engaged Dora was in our conversation. My friends were so grateful for everything and thanked the staff for being there and helping with the magic that was that night.
We drove back home blasting Dora Jar so all of NYC and New Jersey could hear.
I still haven’t recovered.
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