It’s ok, I’m ok but I still have not recovered from Tate McRae’s listening party on Friday, February 20. I have never gotten so much bang for my buck in all of my years of living. For those who are confused, Tate released her new album “So Close to What” on Friday, and hosted a benefit listening party in the parking lot of the Kia Forum to raise money for wildfire relief.
I am unsure of how tickets were originally given out, but I do know that there was some type of raffle and that’s how my friend originally got two tickets. Right after hearing this, I raced to ticketmaster and there they were, $10 tickets to the party, with a live performance by Tate. Literally no fees, I gladly dished over my $10.
The description had very little, well, description. All it said was “Kia Forum parking lot, 7pm.” So, at 6:55, my friends and I pulled up in our Tate-iest, “Sports Car”-iest outfits (jerseys, mini skirts, boots and sunglasses, duh) and arrived at a line longer than the Taylor Swift merch line. We raced to the back and were promptly let in at 7:05. Inside, there were food trucks, exclusive merch stands, tons of photo booth opportunities and a DJ. Slightly to the side was what seemed to be a construction site, but everyone was huddling there. We joined the pack and at 8pm the security opened the gates and everyone crowded around a “stage” that was set up amongst the “construction” materials.
Now, the crowd at this event was comparable to the crowd at the Era’s tour, in that everyone there was there because they love both the music and the culture surrounding our pop princess Tate. Everyone was friendly, excited and just happy to be there. By 8:45 we were getting a little impatient, but at 9 the lights dimmed and “Sports Car” started playing. Everyone literally went crazy.
Tate proceeded to bust it down on stage while singing, something I was blessed to see live. I love her music, but her stage presence and dance skills are truly unmatched, and she did not rest for the next seven songs. She played “Sports Car,” “it’s ok i’m ok,” “2 hands,” “you broke me first,” “Greenlight,” “Dear god,” “bloodonmyhands” and “Revolving Door,” some of these for the first time EVER, and the crowd never let up even when we didn’t know the songs. She played these eight songs and then the new music video for “Revolving Door” for the first time ever. Although this might seem like a short concert, it was literally less than $11 for everyone there, so everyone left happy and fired up. I even bought a $10 shirt from the faux-merch men that swarm the parking lot after every concert.
This experience was truly the most Los Angeles entertainment experience I have ever been lucky to live through, and I am so grateful that this happened. I hope that more artists take Tate’s lead and reward fans for their support, while also giving back to a cause. I think it was super special for Tate as well, to share her successes with the people that made it happen. If anyone has an extra ticket for her Miss Possessive Tour, PLEASE bang my line.