I have to thank my older sister for the reason I appreciate and love concerts so much – she began going to concerts when she was in high school while I was in middle school. Watching her get ready and come home later than my parents wanted was fascinating to me. I also have to thank her for expanding my music taste and introducing me to rap and hip hop – one of my favorite genres now – while showing me that seeing live music is worth the cost and is an amazing experience.
I saw Brockhampton in Grand Rapids when I was a freshman in high school. At the time, I believed that I was their biggest fan – they quickly became my top artist of 2017, even though I started listening to them in September of that year. I went with my friend at the time, and since the venue was open with crowds of people standing, I lost her within the first 20 minutes of the show. I panicked at the start, but I eventually became captivated by the music and was even able to make my way to the rail at the front of the show. I stayed like that for the whole duration, blasting all the lyrics and being entranced by the people standing in front of me. I found my friend when people began to clear out, and that concert showed me that all the excitement my sister shared was not an exaggeration.
During high school, I continued to see J. Cole, Cordae, artists from Top Dawg Entertainment (including Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and Jay Rock), and Bass Country during my senior year of high school – a lineup of EDM artists, which was out of my comfort zone.
While I enjoyed the rap artists that I would pay to see, Bass Country was when it was revealed to me that the music itself is not the whole point – the feeling of being around people who are dancing, lip-syncing, and overall having a good time on top of the bass, the drumlines, and the voices is what sells a show. I didn’t know any of the songs at the EDM concert, nor did I think I was a fan of the genre, but I quickly found out that that wasn’t the case.
In my first year of college, I fell back into my love of concerts. I first saw J. Cole again for my sister’s birthday, and seeing the same artist for a second time was like seeing him for the first time. I fell back in love with hearing the music blast and the people around me dancing and enjoying themselves.
During my second semester, I would see Beach House , Tyler, the Creator, and Aminé in the span of roughly one month. Especially when I would feel stressed from school work and be a bit down, looking forward to a concert and being there was enough to push through a day, or even an entire week. It’s impossible to not be present when an artist you love is performing in front of you. That reminder of existing with them as well as all the other people around you who are sharing the same love as you is a feeling that doesn’t get old, no matter the number of artists or musicians that you see. On top of that, seeing musicians with your friends adds to this feeling of unity and love, because both of you are experiencing the same present moment with music that you’ve listened to and loved in the past.
Currently, I am planning on going to the Mo Pop Festival in Detroit this summer with a group of friends. This will be my first festival, but I’m sure that it’ll be a great experience seeing so many artists with friends that I love. Other than that, I have no concerts planned out soon, but I know that I will continue going to concerts and shows as long as I love music.