This has been a huge year for the concert world; Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour surprised everyone and immediately became my dream event to attend after watching her show on TikTok livestreams every week for months. That said, I did not attend the Eras Tour this year, but I will be going twice in 2024!
I am wrapping up 2023 with a total of 4 concerts this year (missed many I wanted to see) and am going to tell you the details of them all.
I began the year with Gracie Abrams who was on her Good Riddance tour before her opening leg of the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift! After a long battle with Ticketmaster where I sadly failed to get tickets to her show three times, I managed to find two fans reselling their tickets for face value ($42) which meant I could finally go. Gracie performed at History in Toronto, a 2500-person venue and it was beautiful. My friends and I decided we needed to camp outside the venue starting at 10 A.M. to be as close as possible to this angel. So, we did. It was a chilly 8° C and the sun barely shined down on us, but it was absolutely worth it to be third row from Gracie hearing her sing our favourite songs. She is breathtaking in person and her vocals were incredible. Getting to hear her song Amelie live is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Next, was Boygenius on June 21st at Budweiser Stage. Luckily, I fought no wars to get this ticket as a friend of mine scored us tickets ($115 each) in the 200s where we could actually see their faces! Unfortunately, getting merch was impossible for many because everything was sold out by the time we reached the front of line. But, being in a seated venue is a win every time for me. The show did start fairly late and kept getting delayed, which was slightly frustrating, but once it started it was beautiful from start to finish. Each of their voices were all heavenly. Very worth it to see Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers live.
In the summer, I saw Maisie Peters again at History! I am not a super fan of Maisie but do know most of her songs and think she is the cutest artist, so I was still really looking forward to this show. I paid $50 and didn’t have to struggle too much on Ticketmaster to make my purchase, so I would call that a success. My friend and I ended up around the tenth row even while getting there at 5 P.M., but we were mostly just there for the vibes. She really is the cutest artist and the crowd was awesome for her. Maisie covered One Direction’s Night Changes as a part of her acoustic section, and it really made my heart complete. I left that show wanting to hear more of her music and having new favourite songs; I highly recommend BSC and History of Man.
Lastly, Maude Latour. I would’ve considered her an indie-pop singer but now I’d call her a popstar. She sang at Velvet Underground (a 350-person venue) which was super intimate and she brought so much energy to her audience. Before the show I was able to meet Maude with my VIP package ($99 included in the ticket price) which consisted of a Q&A, unreleased music, individual photos and signed merch! I can’t reveal any of what Maude told us, but note she is amazing and there may or may not be a magical album coming. My sister and I ended up front row–literally against the stage–during the show and it was the coolest experience of my life so far. Maude held my hand multiple times during the show and she even went into the crowd and danced with her audience. She is so cool and I recommend everyone listen to her music!
It’s been a fantastic year of music for me, and I know there will be much more to come in my future. Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift…I’ll see you next year!