As summer slowly approaches, many students begin making plans for how they will spend the summer months. Whether working, traveling, playing a sport, or simply enjoying the time off, concerts often find themselves a highlight of the summer months for people of all ages and interests.
Countless artists have announced and started selling tickets for their concerts spanning the coming warmer months including artists from Megan Moroney to Tame Impala to Harry Styles– meaning there truly is a concert for every music lover to attend in the near future. In a world full of fast-paced media and persistent distractions, concerts are a welcome chance to slow your night down, connect with those around you, and enjoy a refreshing night filled with live music–a joy that can only be experienced at a concert.
This week the Ravine highlights some of the upcoming concerts, the Kilbourne students attending them, and the importance of the live music industry today.
Junior Rylee Bindel is somewhat of a “concert connoisseur”, having been to over 14 concerts in her life, some of which include Billie Eilish, Tyler the Creator, Wallows and Beyonce. Rylee is planning to attend Tame Impala, Bruno Mars, and A$AP Rocky this year, making her a busy concert fan.
When asked about why she loves concerts so much and why she believes the live music industry is important, she told us, “it feels more personal to experience songs that you love live with other people that love [them] as much as you.”
For many concert goers, one of the best parts of the concert is the preparations for the actual events. Listening to setlists, picking out your outfits, making signs, and sometimes learning chants–all the moving parts of a concert that make the night as fun as possible.
Sophomore Claire Hertz is planning to go to Jack Johnson and “hopefully” Tame Impala and A$AP Rocky. For Claire, the most important factor when choosing a concert is finding an artist she connects to the most and finding a person to go with who she knows she will enjoy the concert with. Claire’s favorite thing about a concert is that it “gets people connected through music.”
True concert-lovers know the importance of who you attend a concert with. Whether you go with a group of friends, your family, or your bff, concerts are a shared experience that will bond you together with whomever you choose to share the moment with.
Another huge part of concerts is the preparation. Isabel Ludsin is a Junior at Kilbourne who has been to Billie Eilish and the Weeknd, and she is planning to go to A$AP Rocky, Buckeye Country SuperFest, and hopefully Don Toliver this year. She prepares by, “Planning an outfit and listening to the setlist to make sure [she] knows the songs.”
The anticipation leading up to a concert is part of the fun, and the preparation is a crucial part of a concert day that completes the experience.
Concerts have always been and continue to be one of the most unique forms of entertainment for people of all ages. In a time where music is consumed alone through airpods and connections are formed parasocially through screens, concerts offer something different that our world seems to crave: a chance to fully immerse oneself in music, surrounding in a community of people who share in your love for it.
Whether it’s the excitement of first seeing your favorite artist in person or the memories created singing with strangers in the streets long after the first encore, the joy and connection found at concerts has yet to be replicated. As summer rolls in and artists roll out on tours nationwide, Kilbourne students are off to keep the live music industry alive, one concert at a time
