A few weeks ago, I attended an Olivia Rodrigo concert in Chicago.
However, my experience was much more than simply “attending” a concert. After being bombarded by a multitude of Tik Toks featuring hundreds of people lining up several hours early for her general admission concerts, I decided that I needed to up level my concert preparation.
So, the night before the concert, I arranged to arrive to Aragon Ballroom at 11 a.m. — nine hours before her show would begin.
I woke up obnoxiously early (5:45 a.m.) on Friday morning to check Twitter, where I discovered a tweet that said, “IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE OLIVIA RODRIGO CONCERT IN CHICAGO, GET HERE NOW! THE LINE IS ALREADY STARTING TO BUILD UP.”
Panic seared through my body, and my plans to attend my 9 a.m. class were starting to look a bit slim. Nevertheless, I powered through, departing for Chicago promptly after class.
I met up with a friend from a different university. Naturally, we anticipated that there would be a few dozen dedicated fans already in line.
A few dozen?
Try a few hundred. Or, 613, to be exact.
Mind you, Aragon Ballroom has a 5,000 person capacity. So, NINE hours before the concert began, 15% of fans were waiting in line. Apparently, the first arrival occurred at 3 p.m. the day before — a mere 29 hours prior to doors opening.
It was 40 degrees, raining, hailing and windy. Not the greatest weather forecast for standing still outdoors for nine hours. But, so be it. We were there, and we were dedicated.
Waiting in line was quite an unusual experience. There were some fans who were clearly prepared for the weather, toting rain jackets, portable chargers, blankets, umbrellas, chairs and even entire tents. Most fans, however, were like us: equipped with nothing but a half-dead phone in our hands and shoes on our feet.
So, what do you do in line for nine hours, surrounded by strangers, in the cold, phone almost dead, simply waiting on a set of doors to open so you can rush in to get as close as possible to hear a 19-year-old girl sing?
The answer: A whole lot of complaining! As well as questioning your decision. However, the outcome was worth it.
After a full day of standing, making small talk with strangers, eating overpriced hot dogs from a sketchy hot dog stand, complaining about body aches and the cold and simply being flabbergasted by the hundreds of other people who were willing to do the exact same thing as you, the doors finally opened.
As for the concert? Absolutely incredible. Being just feet away from the stage was worth every ounce of pain from standing in that line (well, in my opinion — there were definitely others that felt differently).
It was a great evening. Olivia Rodrigo is a terrific performer, and I fully plan on attending her future concerts — even if it means I have to wait in line for another nine hours beforehand.