Concerts are something that many people enjoy and attend. As for me, concerts are something I enjoy going to on a regular basis. This summer, I saw seven artists, including openers and festival acts. These concerts ranged from artists as small as DJO and as big as Olivia Rodrigo. I have been to eight concerts in my life, and I attended four this summer. Music is something that means a lot to me, so concerts are something I generally love going to. From he communities of fans to the main act, concerts are a large part of my life.

Govball
The Governors Ball is a popular music festival held in Queens, New York, every year. Their festival spans over the course of three days, but I only went on the second day because the artists I wanted to see were only on day two. On the first day, the main act was Tyler, The Creator, the second day’s main act was Olivia Rodrigo, and the third day’s main act was Hozier. Day two had many large performances, such as Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, Marina, and Wallows. There were many acts set for the day, but it began to rain right before entry into the festival. This outraged fans because it caused a rain delay until 4:30 PM, which was almost five hours later. Many people left due to the rain, or they left to go to their cars. We chose to stay in our spot the entire time, as we were at the front of the line. Eventually, the rain stopped and we were let in 30 minutes before the said entry time, but it was extreme chaos. People were getting trampled, pushed, and pulled to the ground when everyone was running to the entry gate. Eventually, I ended up in about the fifth row. Marina came on shortly after, but her set was cut short due to the rain delay. She was a “primadonna girl” on stage, and she performed songs from her new album including I <3 U and Princess of Power. She also opened with Froot, and played How to be a Heartbreaker, Primadonna Girl, Bubblegum B***, and much more. After, Wallows came on and played their hit songs Are You Bored Yet?, Coffin Change, Remember When, and Anytime, Always. During their song OK, Dylan Minnette jumped into the crowd and sang with them, and during Remember When a downpour started, but I see it as a core memory. The rain continued for the rest of their set, but the rain added an extra touch to it, making it one of my favorites. Then, My favorite artist, Conan Gray performed. His set was also cut down, but he performed for the first time since he announced his new record Wishbone. He opened with the live debut of This Song, and performed many hits on his set that were made to look like a ship. He performed songs such as People Watching, Bourgeoiseses, Memories, Wish you Were Sober, and much more. He also surprised fans with a cover of Dolly Parton’s song Jolene. The final act came on after Conan, which was fitting because she is his best friend! Olivia Rodrigo took the stage. She opened with her song Obsessed and the crowd loved it. Her stage presence is what artists strive to achieve. Her effects and visuals were also top tier. She performed for over an hour, significantly longer than the rest of the performers, and sang hits such as Driver’s License, Good 4 You, Get Him Back, Traitor, and Happier. During her set, she brought out David Byrne from The Talking Heads to sing their song Burning Down the House.

Gracie Abrams- The Secret of Us Deluxe Tour
8 hours away from my home, Gracie Abrams dazzled on stage at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Canada. Gracie Abrams has always been one of my favorite artists, and I was finally able to go and see her in Toronto, Canada. I have driven far to concerts before (Montreal and Connecticut), but I have never driven over 8 hours to see an artist. The opener was supposed to be rising star Role Model, but he had to drop out of the tour for a few dates due to filming for a show. The new opener was DJO, which Joe Keery is the lead singer of. They played many songs such as Back to Being Basic, Delete Ya, and their hit song End of Beginning. Gracie Abrams opened with Risk, and continued the show with Blowing Smoke and 21. Her visuals and vocals are phenomenal, especially during the song Where Do We Go Now, as she extends the outro of the song. She sang two unreleased songs, which were Out of Nowhere and Death Wish. She does a surprise song segment, where she sang the song Best from her album Good Riddance. She also performed I Love You, Im Sorry, I Miss You, Im Sorry, Free Now, Us., Normal Thing, Full Machine, Tough Luck, Let it Happen, Right Now (my absolute favorite song by her), and much more. She closed with That’s so True and Close to You, ending her show with a confetti drop full of silver stars.
Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony
On a warm summer night in Norfolk, Virginia, Laufey took the stage at the Chartaway arena and serenaded the crowd with her angelic symphony and vocals. Laufey concerts are different from the others. Everyone is sitting, no one sings when she is, and it is overall a more calm experience. Laufey opened her symphony tour with Dreamer. During the song Let You Break My Heart Again, Laufey’s microphone cut out, and you could not hear her voice anymore. Fans lit up the arena with their phone flashlights and sang the entire song for her, not missing a single word. She played two unreleased ,at the time,  songs from her new album, which were Snow White and Forget-Me-Not. She played her cello, piano, and her guitar while performing, making her multitalented. She performed the songs While you were Sleeping, Tough Luck, It Could Happen to You, Goddess, Promise, and many more from her albums Bewitched and Everything I Know About Love. She performed Letter To My 13 Year Old Self as an encore  to end the night.
I also went to The Today Show to see Conan Gray because I won fan passes, and I ended up being on TV! Concerts are generally an experience many people enjoy due to their communities, atmosphere, and the interactions with the artist on stage. They mean a lot to me because of my love for music, and I hope to go to more concerts in the future!