Alright, so I know that it’s very old news that I love, respect, and appreciate Lizzo for all that she does. Almost half the articles I’ve written for Her Campus are about Lizzo in some way, and I’m proud of that. Given this information, no one should be shocked to hear that when I saw that she would be performing in Columbus, Ohio, only an hour away from this tiny college on a hill, I didn’t even think twice before buying a ticket. I then waited four whole months, practically sick from giddy anticipation. The woman whose music had been there for me in my best times, my worst times, and everything in between, was going to be occupying the stage a mere 10 or 20 feet in front of me, living in the same moment as me, present in a way she had never been for me before.
(Me and my friends at the concert!)
By the time August rolled around, I was struggling a little bit. Job training was exhausting both emotionally and physically, and I was more than ready to belt “Truth Hurts” at the top of my lungs with a crowd of hundreds of others. I wanted to lose myself and be a part of something bigger, something good. And I was not let down. The moment I got to the show, my friends and I were welcomed into the front of the standing-room-only section by a group of really kind and lovely strangers, who then became friends as the night went on. This is, I think, a perfect example of the type of community that Lizzo’s fans (her “Soulmates,” as she called us during her show) have created for ourselves. The other Lizzo fans I met that night were kind to me in the most unexpected of moments, like when someone handed me their water bottle when they heard me complain about feeling like I was going to pass out since we had all been standing for hours in the heat.
Speaking of that hours-long wait— it was excruciating. Lizzo had not one, not two, but three openers. And each group or singer was talented and entertaining, but three was just too much. Even though it was labeled as a “music festival,” everyone in that crowd was there only for Lizzo, so when she finally arrived it was magical. Lizzo’s costumes? Incredible. Vocals? Incomparable. Dancing? Church with a twerk. The roar of the crowd at the first glimpse of her pink, corseted attire was amazing. It was like the sound of Minnesota Vikings fans when our team scores a touchdown, except there was no aggression to it. And despite the fact that I somehow still got beer spilled on me (just like every Vikings game I attend), I felt nothing but joy for being there. And by the time “Truth Hurts” finally came around, I was more than content to sing it with all of the new friends I made in the crowd.
(A picture I took from the performance)
So, here’s why you should go see a Lizzo concert: in my experience, the people are lovely, the music is amazing, and the experience is incredible. Lizzo is an inspiring and energetic performer, and her words in between songs are just as memorable as her lyrics. I left her show feeling less heavy, like a weight had been taken off of my shoulders. My experience proved that my faith in Lizzo was well-placed. She was worth the wait in every sense, and seeing her in person was worth every penny.