When Olivia Rodrigo’s first album, SOUR, came out, I was in seventh grade. Being thirteen years old at the time, I definitely couldn’t relate to most of her lyrics, but I memorized every song anyways. It was so fun to sing along to her songs with my friends and hear them all over TikTok.
About a month ago, I got a text from one of my childhood best friends asking what I’m doing on Sept. 29. Texts like these are often kind of scary, as I normally don’t know what to expect. I thought it was just going to be her telling me she was going to be in town and wanted to visit me at college that day. Instead, I got an even better surprise.
Tickets to see Olivia Rodrigo in Pittsburgh! When I say that it was one of the best nights of my life, I do not say that lightly. It was genuinely one of the coolest experiences I have ever had.
I’ve always dreamed of seeing her in concert, but I was never able to secure tickets. So when my friend invited me to go with her, I jumped at the chance. I talked about it for pretty much the entire month of September. I think some of my friends got a little sick of me talking about it, but it was hard not to be excited.
While I was at the concert, I kept thinking about a lyric from Taylor Swift: “I said remember this moment, in the back of my mind.” This sounds so cringe, but I knew that seeing such a big artist, especially one that I’ve been listening to for so long, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I filmed a lot, took a lot of pictures, but also celebrated the fact that I was in the room hearing this music live.
It is so crazy to think how much my life has changed even just since Olivia’s first album came out. Almost six years of my life have passed since then. Even though I relate to her newer albums and lyrics a little differently than I did at thirteen, some of her songs have truly been a constant throughout so many stages in my life. Being able to finally see her perform live felt like a full-circle moment and reminded me of just how quickly time can pass.
I feel so incredibly grateful for the experience. It felt a little unreal, but I know that it will be a memory that I will carry for many years moving forward. I also feel so lucky to be able to experience something like this with my friend Amelia, who I’ve known since kindergarten.
If you ever get the opportunity to see one of your favorite artists live, take it. You will never forget it.