Since I was young, I have been an avid concert go-er. Concerts have always brought me a certain joy that I have yet to find elsewhere. Standing in a crowd of strangers all singing to the same music we love elicits a unique sense of unity. There is nothing quite like screaming the words of your favorite songs with your favorite artists. Living in the Boston area, I have always tried to go to as many concerts as I can that interest or excite me. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic obviously brought this habit to a screeching halt.
The world began to lock down 2 weeks before I was supposed to attend Billie Eilish’s highly anticipated “Where Do We Go? World Tour”. One-by-one every concert I was planning on attending was cancelled. Watching virtual concerts on my TV made me anxiously await the day that I could experience the euphoria of live music in person again. A few weeks ago, the day finally came when I was able to experience it all again.
My first concert post-lockdown was Bleachers at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston’s Seaport. The concert required proof of vaccination or a negative test result and masks were to be worn in indoor areas such as the restrooms. Other than those precautions, the experience felt like anything I had known pre-pandemic. It was really exciting to be in a crowd with so much love for music again and an instant reminder of how much I appreciate live music and all it has to offer. I left that concert eager to experience the next.
Lucky for me, that next live music experience came only 2 days later, when I attended The Governors Ball Music Festival in Queens, NY. As someone who has never attended a concert in New York City, I was slightly anxious for the experience. After car, train, and subway rides, I headed down the path to the security check to enter the venue. On the way, our vaccination cards were checked and we received bracelets to indicate that we met the vaccination or proof of negative test requirement. With this being a much larger event, it evoked different feelings, being in such large crowds. It felt so great to be at a festival again, but I had forgotten what it was like to wait in huge lines with large numbers of people surrounding me. Despite this, I still felt safe throughout the entire day. All the waiting became worth it once 8:45PM came around and Billie Eilish took the stage. It felt like I was having an out-of-body experience as I screamed my head off to all my favorite songs. After missing her tour in 2019 due to Covid, it felt so special to see her live again and perform all her new music.
The most recent concert I attended was the Jonas Brothers “Remember This Tour” at Fenway Park. This was my first time attending a show at Fenway Park, so it was really cool to see it converted from the familiar ballpark to a concert venue. The ballpark was filled with excitement and nostalgia as the Jonas Brothers sang music from the past 15 years. They even honored Red Sox fans with their unforgettable performance of “Sweet Caroline.” It was such a fun night to be able to create new memories with a long-time favorite band of mine.
I am so happy that concerts are able to resume in a safe way. I have some lined up that I am eagerly looking forward to: Madison Beer, Olivia O’Brien, and lovelytheband. If you feel comfortable heading to a show near you, I would highly recommend it. I can’t wait to continue to celebrate live music. After being isolated for so long, the unity that concerts provide has taken on an entirely new significance and I am so grateful that I get to experience it.