One of my favorite bands for as long as I can remember has been The 1975, and I was fortunate enough to be able to see them live in concert for their show in Newark, NJ. Their music is filled with catchy, unusual sounds, commentary on what is going on politically in our society, and achingly raw lyrics about love and heartbreak that touch the hearts of many people, (including myself), that you can’t help but love to listen to.
Days leading up to the concert, I couldn’t contain my excitement, and that excitement definitely helped when it came to waiting in the general admission line in 50-degree weather here on the East Coast. I had never thought in a million years that I would get the chance to see The 1975 live because they’re just one of those bands that seem so timeless and iconic that the possibility of seeing them was just so far out of reach to me. This was also the first time I’d ever gone to a concert alone, so I was equally as nervous as I was excited.
Upon entering the Prudential Center, where the concert was taking place, I immediately went to buy merch and some food, because it was going to be a while before the concert started. Entering the general admission area with my overpriced foods, everyone in the pit was still pretty spread out and eagerly waiting for the opening act, Dora Jar, to appear on stage.
Once Dora Jar went onstage, more and more people started to arrive and secure their place in the general admission area. Dora Jar had lots of energy and really tried to interact a lot with the crowd to get them more riled up and excited for the main act to come on stage after them. I had never heard of Dora Jar before, and I’m glad I arrived early enough to hear them live, because their music is just the kind that I have been listening to recently. If you like indie-alternative music, then I would highly recommend them. They finished their set with an unreleased song, which just so happened to be my favorite song they played, and the energy in the room was so tense with excitement about the fact that we all knew The 1975 would be onstage next.
As time grew nearer for them to perform, everyone in the pit started getting closer and closer to the stage. When the time hit 8:30 p.m., the lights dimmed, and everyone, including me, screamed in excitement. As soon as the band walked onstage and the first notes of their song, “The 1975,” off their latest album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language, started playing, everyone in the pit immediately got as close to the stage as possible, and I was then encapsulated between total strangers who all love this band as much as I do. They followed up their first song, which is a bit mellow, with the song, “Looking For Somebody (To Love),” which has a more upbeat melody that had everyone dancing and screaming along. This started off the show with a lot of energy that only continued throughout the night.
Now, in the middle of the show, there was a break in between songs where the lead singer, Matty Healy, went to the B Stage in the middle of the venue, opposite the main stage which was just on one side of the venue. There was a grass-like platform with a naked mannequin that looked identical to Healy, which admittedly, was a little unusual, but it was a nice break in the middle of the show to regain some energy, especially since the show was about two hours long. This little break was then followed by two songs on the B Stage, and following that, Healy returned to the main stage to continue the remaining half of the show, which had only high energy for the rest of the night. Every lyric was sung by everyone in the crowd, and everyone was dancing and jumping more than I’d seen in any other concert I’d been to. The night ended with their song, “People,” with its angsty energy, on the B Stage, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect song to end the night with.
Overall, I’d say I had more fun at this concert than I have at any other concert in my life, despite having gone alone. I’ve gone to a great deal of concerts since I was 12 years old, and seeing The 1975 live has easily taken the spot of my number one favorite concert. I have never danced, laughed, cried, and screamed so loud at a concert before this one. Maybe it’s because their music means so much to me, or the fact that they put on a great show, but I’m sure I could see them live a million times and never get tired of it. Also, their set has to be the best I’ve ever seen a band perform on. It has so many little details and is designed to look like the inside of a house which also makes the environment feel so comfortable and inviting to be oneself in a room full of strangers. The name of this tour is called The 1975 Still…At Their Very Best, and I can say that after seeing them live, they truly still are at their very best, and they will continue to keep on getting better.