If your summer was anything like mine, then you probably did absolutely nothing; but with those times of nothingness come the times of absolutely exciting and unique somethings. Yes, I’m talking about concerts! When I wasn’t lounging around in bed or going to work, I was planning and convincing others to go to concerts. Unfortunately, concert prices have increased drastically, and they’re very expensive if you want to get good seats, so I only ended up going to four; however, those four concerts truly made my summer. Through this article, I will give my summer concert review and hopefully inspire some of you to participate in concert culture.
- Introduction
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I was never really a concert goer until I got into K-pop. Once I realized how fun K-pop concerts were, I knew that I needed to go to all of them! So now when a group or soloist that I like goes on tour, I make sure to see where the closest venue is to me, how I’ll be able to get there and who I could convince to go with me. Even if I’m not really into the artist, I’d still go through this process because I just love the happiness concerts give me. I hate the feeling of missing fun opportunities, so I try my hardest to attend concerts. I was honored to have attended three K-pop concerts this summer, which is the most I’ve ever attended in one season. The other concert was from a Western band that I absolutely love. The details of these concerts are specified below.
- Just B
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My first concert of the summer was from a K-pop group named Just B. I actually never heard of them before going to their concert. I know, why go to a concert if you don’t even know the members or their songs? Well, there is a reason for that. Long story short, my family and I went to an anime convention called Otakon, and Just B was the K-pop group that performed. I was interested in going because why would I miss out on learning about a new K-pop group, and I’m so glad I did. These six talented, handsome and entertaining men were so amazing! Their concert was in a larger room in the convention center, and I was able to get front-row seats, so this was definitely a concert to remember. The best part is that since they were participating in the convention, they also went to some of the events. There was a K-pop dance event for guests to participate in and Just B members were the judges. They also did a dance workshop, but I wasn’t able to go. Just seeing them up close and learning their personalities made me like them more and more. Their songs are great, their choreography was so in sync and fun to watch, and they were funny. This wasn’t a full-blown K-pop concert, but it was still great! I even bought a mini album after. I’ll give this concert an 8/10. If you’re interested in learning more about them, they’re coming out with a new album on Oct. 11th, called “Nanugi.” Check it out!
- Twice
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One of my favorite concerts that I went to! I went to the MetLife Stadium concert in July with my sisters, and this was definitely a concert that stood out. This was my first time at MetLife, and I wasn’t sure what to expect because this venue was a stadium, and it was hot as heck that day. We also were very concerned about transportation, but that turned out not to be as much of an issue since our parents drove us. I wouldn’t recommend driving to MetLife because the traffic is horrendous. The concert was amazing! TWICE members are such amazing performers, singers and dancers. They played so many old and new songs, and they did so well connecting with the audience. This concert took three hours, which isn’t bad since they kept the momentum up and performed everything really well. MetLife wasn’t a bad stadium. It just sucks that it was far away, but my sisters and I were able to find a time-consuming solution to this problem for our next concert. I give this concert a 10/10!
- Blackpink
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Yes, I finally got to see my girls!!! I almost cried when Blackpink started their performance because I remembered sitting in front of my TV or phone watching them perform and being like, “I’m going to see them one day in person.” Then, there I was seeing the actual Blackpink members perform their hit songs. It was amazing! Blackpink did go on tour earlier this year at the Prudential Center, but due to not having enough money or anyone to go with, I missed it. I was so sad, but then they announced their encore tour, where they were going to MetLife Stadium. I knew I had to attend this concert, and luckily I did. This time, my sisters and I went by train. There was a bus that took you right to MetLife when you arrived at New York Penn Station. This was definitely better, but the transportation coming back was horrible. When the concert ended, we had to stand in line for the same bus to take us back to New York Penn Station, but there was the longest line I’ve ever seen for these buses. It could wrap around the whole stadium. My sisters and I were bewildered and thought we weren’t going to make it to the trains going back home. The good thing was that the line moved at a good speed since there were buses coming each second. We also made the last train, but we didn’t get home until 3 a.m. The worst thing was that I had to work early in the morning the next day. Going back to the concert, it was truly so surreal and astonishing. I fell in love with each member even more when they performed their solo songs. They sang old songs and new songs, so it was fun being able to belt the songs I love. I just wish the concert was longer. I give this concert a 9/10.
- Cigarettes After Sex
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This is the last summer concert I went to. They held this concert at Franklin Music Hall, which was great because it wasn’t too far from me. Going by car was definitely a better option; however, after the concert, there was a traffic build-up where the cars from the intersections were mixing in with the cars from the concert, causing so much backup and honking horns. This wasn’t a bad concert since I love all of CAS’ songs. The only downsides were that they started pretty late, there were no seats, the tallest people decided to stand right in front of me and I went with my mom. A warning to everyone, it’s probably not the best idea to go to concerts with your mom who has specific tastes in music. Also, she was not the biggest fan of standing for so long, and she disliked the music, so it wasn’t a great experience for her. I, on the other hand, enjoyed the concert. I probably wouldn’t go to that venue again because I like to have assigned seats at concerts, but I would definitely see CAS again, just not with my mom. I rate this concert a 7/10.
All in all, this summer has been a whirlwind of new experiences! I hope my next summer is filled with even more exciting concerts. Maybe, I’ll even see you there!