I spent a little over 500 dollars to see SZA at Madison Square Garden on March 4, 2023. Do I regret it? Maybe a little. But in my defense, it was presale morning, the adrenaline was running through my body, and I honestly didn’t expect the purchase to go through. It did, my bank account is suffering, but I did have the time of my life. I went to this concert by myself because the prices were outrageous and I honestly enjoyed it. I didn’t have to worry about anyone else, and I was able to get out of the venue fairly quickly because I only had to worry about myself. Also, asking someone to spend as much as I did on this concert would be insane, so I went alone and had the time of my life.
SZA is one of the only artists that have merchandise I would wear in public, so that’s what I picked up first, and then I headed to my seat in the 200s section. The view wasn’t bad, I just wish I had thought logically before I put my debit card information into Ticketmaster because they definitely weren’t worth over $500. Nonetheless, I could see the whole stage, and my view wasn’t obstructed, so small wins.
I’m not a huge fan of Omar Apollo and I only know a few songs of his, but he did put on a show. Unfortunately, it is concert culture to not care about the opener, and talk with your friends or be on your phone the whole time. It was clear that Omar Apollo didn’t let this deter him from putting on a fantastic show. After his set, SZA came out with the most beautiful graphics I have ever seen at a concert. She truly took everyone on a journey with the projections, costumes, and setlist. I am a newer fan of SZA, so there were some songs I didn’t know all the words to, but that truly didn’t matter because she created a show that kept everyone engaged, even if you had just heard about her the day before.
I was happy with how the concert was going, but then she decided to one-up herself by bringing out Phoebe Bridgers to sing “Ghost in the Machine.” I ascended. It was her first time singing that song on tour and her only time bringing out Phoebe to perform with her. It’s one of my favorite songs off SOS, and I just so happened to be in the room for their first live performance of it. I like to convince myself that SZA knew the hardships most of us in that stadium went through to be there and get those tickets for Madison Square Garden night one, so she blessed us with a little treat.
It gets better. Then she brought out Cardi B. I know it sounds dumb because I know Cardi B is from the Bronx, but I didn’t think she’d be there at all. I was kind of in shock and I didn’t understand a word of what they were singing, but it was an experience for sure.
All in all, I had a fantastic time. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to attend concerts like that, but hopefully next time, I’ll think a little more logically and not spend that much on a singular ticket ever again.