As a self-proclaimed fangirl, I love concerts so much. I don’t even care who is onstage; if live music is in front of me, I’m going to have a fantastic time. As 2023 comes to a close, I love looking back on all the concerts I went to (21 shows!), and I’ve come up with a short ranking of the best tours I saw this year.
- THE WLDLFE – Live On Tour Pt. II
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I cannot believe this was my first time seeing one of my favorite bands live, and I was amazed by the performance they put on. This show was at one of my favorite venues in Philadelphia, The Foundry in The Fillmore, and the band lit up this stage more than any other artist I’ve seen play there. I have loved THE WLDLFE for years, and I’m super excited to see what they do next.
- Nickelback – Get Rollin’ Tour
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Ok, listen. I am sick of being silent; I love dad rock. It’s one of my favorite music genres. Nickelback was a staple in car rides as a kid, and this concert was a different level of nostalgia. The band hasn’t been on tour in almost a decade, and they came back with fire! (Literally, there was so much fire onstage I thought it was going to burn down.) This concert was one of the best nights of my summer.
- boygenius – The MUNAgenius Show
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Good god, I love Julien Baker so much. I truly believe this concert will go down in history as the best boygenius performance of all time, next to Halloween and Drag-genius. MUNA was the best fit for an opening act; the two bands’ musical styles bounced off each other, and it’s so evident how close they are. Both setlists were perfect, and I had such an amazing time at this show, even though I was in the nosebleeds of Madison Square Garden.
- 5 Seconds of Summer – The 5SOS Show
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I did the bravest thing a fan could do for this tour: I went in with zero spoilers. For almost two months, I avoided every piece of 5SOS content, which was really hard for me. I could not be happier going into this show blind. The videos?! The dice?! “Don’t Stop?!” This tour was absolutely made for the fans, and the setlist really pulled through for us.
- Nightly – Wear Your Heart Out Tour
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This tour being in my top three was not expected by myself or anyone, but I was absolutely blown away. I’ve been following Nightly for a few years, but this was my first time seeing them live, and I didn’t know what I was missing! The setlist was perfect, and the stage’s scenery components added so much to the vibe of the show.
- Taylor Swift- The Eras Tour
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Duh! Of course, The Eras Tour is on this list. I went to Philly Night one, and my surprise songs were “Gold Rush” and “Come Back…Be Here.” Going to this show with my childhood best friend made it even better, and I have never screamed and danced more at a show. Swift put on the performance of a lifetime. I died, resurrected, then died all over again.
- The Band CAMINO – Screaming in the Dark Tour
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Everyone, act super surprised that I put The Band CAMINO first! If you know me personally, you know that this band has been my absolute favorite group forever. After an almost two-year hiatus, my favorite boys put on the most spectacular tour of 2023, and maybe even of all time. The stage was decorated with glow-in-the-dark everything, along with huge LED screens behind the band that had different images and videos, setting the mood for every song. I had so much fun doing the VIP experience, where I got to meet the band, and I really tried to get a sentence out! I will love The Band CAMINO forever, and the Screaming in the Dark Tour was one of the best nights of my entire year.
Narrowing down my favorites was incredibly difficult. Some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut include The Aces, Valley, The 1975, and so many other amazing artists. I already have a bunch of concerts lined up for 2024, and I can’t wait for my next.