It’s definitely not a coincidence that my photos of singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter ended up being clearer than my eyesight. From camping out for the show to having VIP, everything worked out perfectly to allow me to have my hand on the lipstick-print-patterned barricade next to the catwalk. Carpenter, who has cemented herself as one of the most popular rising pop girls, performed at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut on Oct. 2 for over 16,000 adoring fans. This show is just one of the stops on her Short n’ Sweet Tour. Carpenter’s energy could be felt throughout the whole arena, from the back row of the nosebleeds to the first row of the floor. When tickets went on sale, I was lucky enough to snag one Team Sabrina Preshow Party Package VIP ticket for the general admission pit. This ticket was definitely pricey, being over $600, but paying for that ticket allowed me to have an amazing experience overall.
Leaving Campus
The morning of the show, I got up early and seemed to get ready to go right to the concert. I got dressed in a sparkly pink dress, adorned my eyes with jewels and pink eyeshadow, and placed a pink bow in my hair to pull the whole outfit together. However, I had one lab class that I couldn’t miss. I carefully put loose shorts and a shirt over my dress and tied up my hair. I went to class (laboratory animal science where we worked with our assigned rats), got changed, jumped in my car, and rushed to the XL Center.
CAMPING OUT
I arrived at the venue around 11:20 a.m. Anyone who has never been to a concert would probably think I’m crazy for showing up that early, but I wasn’t the only fan camping out. I found a group of concert attendees hanging out in a parking lot with fan-written numbers on their hands. As number 18 in the Team Sabrina VIP fan line, I knew arriving early was the right choice. During the day, we all chatted in the parking lot about how thrilled we were for the concert and what songs we were excited to hear. I usually make stickers to give to other fans, so I passed those out in our group.
At 2 p.m., the venue allowed us to move onto their property and split into the various VIP and general admission (GA) lines. Team Sabrina VIP was arranged on top of some stairs by the XL Center Sports Bar & Fanatics Sportsbook, where the preshow party would happen. We waited in line, with additional fans joining often, until the party started at 4 p.m. By the time everyone was there, there were around 200 fans with our VIP package. During check-in, our fan-written numbers were honored (so we were going to be at the front of the line going to the pit) but many people who got there later had no assigned number and ended up having to hope for a good spot in the main line later.
PRESHOW PARTY
As I entered the preshow party, I was so excited to check out everything there. I started at the photo-op couches with the cutest backdrops, where my friends that I met in line were taking photos of each other. We also took photos in a photo booth run by one of the staff members. After that, we all had food (burger sliders and chips) that the venue had prepared for us free of charge. We were able to get drinks at the bar set up in the Sportsbook, such as Sabrina Carpenter-inspired mocktails and cocktails. There wasn’t much seating, and as fans continued to flood the small space, we were lucky to get to sit in a booth by the visor-making station.
Around 5 p.m., we heard that the early merchandise shopping experience would be opening soon, so we headed to a mysterious black curtain that opened to the merch booth. With Team Sabrina VIP, we get merch shipped to us such as a tour jacket, long-sleeve shirt, and more. So, I decided to buy a single button for $5 and wait for my VIP merch to come in.
THE BARRICADE RUN
After I got my merch, tensions rose as fans were anxiously waiting to enter the pit. With doors opening at 6 p.m. for general fans, all three tiers of VIP were supposed to enter before that since early entry came with our packages. The security attempted to line people up by numbered wristbands given at check-in, but many fans tried to cut into the front of the line. For example, one guy argued that he was number 18 in line (he was probably 81) and everyone around me had to say that I was the real number 18. Finally, we were led in a single-file line down the stairs of the XL Center into the pit. While everyone at the front of the line respected each other, I could hear fans yelling “hurry up” and trying to rush other fans behind me.
I managed to walk carefully in my heeled boots to the center of the catwalk barricade on the left side of the stage, where I almost collapsed from the stress and excitement. After about half of Team Sabrina VIP got into the pit, the other VIP started entering the space. One major reason why I got to the venue so early was because of this. Fans who had paid hundreds of dollars less than Team Sabrina were allowed some of the same spots on the floor because of how the venue staggered their entry. Some shows even had Spotify Top Listener Pit that took up a large section of the barricade and the pit in general (luckily Hartford did not have that). In the end, Team Sabrina VIP fans ended up as close as barricade and as far back as the fourth row, even though we all paid the same price.
AMAARAE
The opening act for the show was Amaarae. While I had only heard her name and not her music, I was excited to see her perform. Her energy was contagious and she had a confident stage presence. Amaarae’s music was a combination of pop and R&B. With a backup dancer making the crowd go wild and her vocals impressing everyone, she succeeded in hyping up the fans. She even got the crowd to participate in singing parts of her own songs, as well as a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go.” While her performance and lyrics weren’t exactly family-friendly, many fans (including myself) enjoyed having her as an opener.
SABRINA CARPENTER
The barricade erupted in cheers (and some tears) as Sabrina Carpenter began the main show. The opening song, “Taste,” was a great choice since everyone knew the lyrics and could immediately sing along. Fans danced to energetic songs such as “Good Graces” and “Juno.” During slower songs such as “Lie to Girls” and “Opposite,” friends held each other and reminisced on past pain and heartbreak. Carpenter even sang a cover of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer during her spin the bottle surprise song game. While Carpenter was the main focus, her backup singers were stunning and interacted with fans multiple times. One singer specifically sang with me to the beginning of “Coincidence.” Carpenter’s dancers were breathtaking and extremely talented, making the show have more than one focus. By the time confetti flew into the air during “Espresso,” I felt so grateful to have gotten to experience the concert from the front row and excited to rewatch my videos in the future to remember one of the best nights of my life.
Overall, the Team Sabrina VIP package was worth it, although I still had to line up early to get barricade. I met amazing new friends, took many cute photos to remember this experience forever, and got to see the stunning Sabrina Carpenter perform at a sold-out arena from the front row. While I have been barricade at many concerts, nothing will top the Short n’ Sweet Tour. If you want to experience the show from home (or relive your own show), be sure to stream to Short n’ Sweet!