I was not a huge concert-goer before the pandemic. I’ve been to cool concerts such as Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots, and even Taylor Swift (before the whole Ticketmaster scandal). So when the pandemic started and large gatherings came to a halt, I was not expecting to miss concerts as much as I did. The human contact, a group of people sharing the same interest, and the racing heart as the lights dim became a feeling I so desperately loved. So when things began opening up, I knew a concert was one of the first things I wanted to attend. Having a best friend who was a habitual concert attendee allowed me to have a built-in concert buddy. So throughout this year, I saw seven artists. Each artist and show were so different from the others, with experiences I would not trade for the world. Here are the rankings of each artist I saw and my thoughts on their performances.
- Best nosebleeds: Billie Eilish
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I have never really thought about attending a Billie Eilish concert before this year. I have loved her music, but I wasn’t tracking her tours or new music. It wasn’t until I had a dream about going to her concert with my best friend. Once I told her about the dream, she told me that Billie Eilish was on tour and coming to Denver and nosebleed seats were cheap. So based on a weird dream, we purchased tickets. Even though we were seated in section 300, it was an exhilarating concert. She was interactive with the audience and would take breaks during songs and ask if we were okay and even interrupted a song to call security to a fan who had fainted. The graphics behind her matched the songs, and she closed the concert with “Happier Than Ever” with falling confetti. Even though we weren’t close to the stage, it was still an amazing performance.
- Most surprising: Bob Dylan
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Bob Dylan is an artist I’ve grown up with and listened to since before I could speak. His music came from my die-hard fan of a father, who sang Mr. Tambourine Man to us as a lullaby and made us celebrate his birthday. This concert I attended was mainly for my dad but also to be able to see such an influential artist before he dies. The concert was none like I have ever seen. First of all, they ask you to leave your phone in the car or ask you to put it in a pouch before you enter and seal it. He allows no phones or cameras inside the venue. Second, he had no opener or someone to perform before him. The lights were mainly on the entirety of the concert and the audience was seated the whole time. Dylan mainly hid behind the piano and would make the occasional appearance to the crowd. He didn’t say anything such as “hello Denver” or introduce the new album he was performing. No one sang along loudly but mainly just nodded and clapped. It was a very unique experience and a special one to share with my dad.
- Weirdest: Joji
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You would expect that with Joji’s sad music and aesthetic vibe that his concert would be mellow, but boy, was that the opposite. The first opener was his DJ, who played his own music from his original iPod and had the crowd do a rock, paper, scissors battle. The second opener was more mellow, Rei Brown, that was probably the only artist who matched the vibe of the music. Joji was not who I expected him to be. I was imaging a calm, quiet, and shy singer and was shocked when he came in, did a backflip, and was cracking jokes. He talked a lot, even during his songs, by shouting “Denver.” He left to use the bathroom twice during the show while his DJ entertained the crowd. Another person joined the show, Lil Toe, who was covered by a ski mask and joined in for a little bit. Along with Lil Toe, a local Elvis impersonator joined the show for a song. The concert was like a YouTuber and an artist combined with an elaborate performance. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had no expectations.
- Most fun: Lizzo
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This category isn’t surprising because of Lizzo’s outgoing and funny personality. Her personality was shown throughout the entire performance, such as playing the flute, twerking, and even pep talks, where she made everyone say positive affirmations. She wore a Halloween costume of Ms. Piggy from the Muppets (since the concert was on Halloween). It was a giant dance party, and every song I loved was played, such as “About Damn Time” and “Juice.” She was connective with her audience and paused to try and guess everyone’s Halloween costumes. I definitely will be going to see her the next time she goes on tour.
- Most revisited: Mxmtoon
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Maia, or mxmtoon, is an indie artist who got famous on TikTok with her song “Prom Dress.” I’ve loved her since my sophomore year of high school and even attended her first tour in 2019. Because she is such a small artist with a small following, she performs in smaller venues which allows you to get close to the stage easily. She is funny, kind to her audience, and overall the type of person who gives off “mom vibes.” This wasn’t the craziest or most fun concert this year, but rather one that felt like a little community of fans just enjoying some live music.
- The one that made me lose my voice: Conan Gray
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Can you really sing the song “Heather” without screaming? His music gives a relatability that is hard to find in a smaller artist. His variety and voice range is so far that they make every song unique and either make you cry, scream or dance (sometimes all three). He performed his popular songs, such as “Heather” and his new song “Memories,” but also performed his older songs. This was a show that no matter if you weren’t a hardcore fan, you would still enjoy his performance. I screamed/sang along with his songs which caused me to lose my voice the next day because of how much fun I had. I would for sure see him again the next time I could
- Best overall: Kendrick Lamar
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I was not a die-hard fan before this concert. I have loved his music since middle school and have obsessed with him for a while, but then I would eventually move on. It wasn’t until this summer when he came back from a five-year hiatus and released his new album, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” This album was an art form I had never experienced and touched me more than I had expected. It was released two days after the death of my cousin, and the first song on the album is called “United in Grief,” which felt like more than a coincidence. Each song has its own emotional depth and hearing it live shook me to my core. I was surprised to see how excited I was; I spent the whole concert screaming at the top of my lungs with the occasional tears. His performance was just as mysterious, weird, and thought-provoking as his music is. He had graphics and even had a plastic box fall from the ceiling, which picked him up and sprayed fog inside while also containing four men with hazmat suits as he sang his song about the pandemic. He had dancers, a puppet that looked like him, and a piano that he started at. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen, and I made unforgettable memories with my brother, who I attended with.
Concerts themselves are an unforgettable experience no matter the person you see or who you go with. During the pandemic, concerts that millions of people spent a large amount of money on were canceled, leaving us to lose hope we would experience them again. What made this year such a good concert year was the excitement that everyone felt to be surrounded by people again, to sing out loud without worrying about transferring a disease, and disappear into music for a couple of hours. Although I probably won’t be able to attend this many concerts next year (because my bank account wouldn’t be able to survive it), I am grateful for the opportunity to have these life-changing experiences with the people I cherish the most.