I had the privilege of spending my last 12 months hopping from one concert venue to the next. Each concert felt more last-minute than the last one, but each one felt more worth it. 365 days, too many Ticketmaster logins and a lot of screaming later, here are my rankings.
7. Yacht Rock Revue
While this may be ranked last, it was 100% worth my time. They are mainly a cover band that performs songs from the genre “yacht rock”. Songs range from “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass to the iconic saxophone playing in “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty. This concert was beyond fun, but I loved the others more.
6. Pitbull
Pitbull was a must-see. However, it was exactly as I imagined it would be. I was almost more excited to see T-Pain as the opener, but that could be because I am, for some reason, a big T-Pain fan. A big saving factor was the performances by his back-up dancers because you could tell they are having the time of their lives (pun intended).
5. AC/dc
This was such a great performance that I feel bad ranking it this low. It was amongst the iconic Gillette Stadium rain shows, and it definitely added to the concert. I am afraid the other ones were just too good, in my opinion. But this one had an impossible-to-beat factor as my cousins came out from Chicago to see them perform.
4. Kelsea Ballerini
This concert holds a special place in my heart. I had the privilege of accompanying another Her Campus UConn member, Angelica Whitney, to upgrade two fans’ tickets in collaboration with nationals and Black River Entertainment. This record label is home to Kelsea Ballerini, as well as her opener, Maryann Taylor, who put on a spectacular performance. Getting to see them, as well as Ashe, perform for free with fantastic seats is something I will never get over.
3. Rascal Flatts
I will admit that these tickets were a complete impulse buy. I have always loved their music, but it was never something I would’ve spent money on. One of my friends posted that she had bought tickets, and convinced me to bite the bullet and purchase them too. It was so worth it because I was able to make it a special outing and got to treat my dad to a concert. He always does so much for me, so it was a nice way to do something for him. I also got to hear some of my favorite songs, even from the openers Lauren Alaina and Chris Lane. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
2. Soundside Music Festival
Words cannot describe how fun this entire day was. When my friend called me asking if I wanted to buy Noah Kahan tickets with her, this was never what I had pictured. Seeing him was always a dream of mine, but in return, I got to hear so many artists I never thought I would get to. From Grace Potter, who sings “Something That I Want” from the credits of Tangled and “Paris (Ooh La La)” which was played repeatedly on my iPod in the third grade, all the way to The Goo Goo Dolls and hearing “Iris” performed live in the rain. This was another piece that added to the magic of this festival. My eyes filled with tears hearing Noah Kahan perform my favorite song, “She Calls Me Back,” despite it being an upbeat song. This would be my top concert of the year, but you will see why it didn’t make the cut.
1. Old Dominion
This concert reigns number one in my book. For years, I have been saying I would sell my soul to see them in concert (if you have read my country music article, you know this), and my mom made sure I didn’t have to! I got to hear all of my favorite songs and freaked out during each and every one of them. They put on such a spectacular performance that I wish it could’ve gone on for days. It is still hard for me to believe that my dream came true this year, but I am beyond happy it did. Maybe one day I can go see them again….
All in all, this has been one of my best years, for these concerts alone. I am so grateful to have had these opportunities this year, and am now addicted to going to concerts. In fact, I have one more coming up in October. Can anyone guess who? Hint: she keeps coming back like a revolving door.