MUSIC MAYHEM

North’s music lovers talk about how concerts have been a fun outlet for them this year and upcoming concerts and festivals they are looking forward to

Pushing through mosh pits, crowd surfers and overcrowding all becomes worth it when one is face to face with their favorite band. For many students, including junior Colby Lovins and seniors Erin Keuhner and Izzy Larken, concerts and festivals are a fun pastime where they can feel happy and comfortable.

“In total, I’ve seen 167 bands live and been to six festivals,” Lovins said.

Larken has been to five concerts and Keuhner has been to nine. For these music lovers, seeing live artists has a deeper meaning than simply entertainment.

“I love going to concerts and festivals because of how much I love music in general,” Lovins said. “To me, concerts are a way for groups of people to come together and share their appreciation for a kind of music or artist, and for the artists themselves, it’s a way to express yourself to a large audience in a creative and enjoyable way.”

All aspects of concerts and festivals are

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fun, but some moments stand out.

“My favorite part of going to concerts is the excitement of knowing a song and being able to sing it with the artist. The best concert I’ve ever been to was seeing Conan Gray in October,” Larken said.

According to Lovins, his favorite musical experience in 2022 out of the two festivals and the seven standalone concerts he went to was The Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky.

“I was really close to the stage the entire time and saw some huge bands there: Nine Inch Nails, KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains. All the festivals I went to in 2022 were all great though,” Lovins said.

There are some music festivals and concerts that these music lovers want to go to, but have been held back for various reasons.

“In 2023, I hope to go to see Steve Lacy, Sabrina Carpenter, maybe SZA and Taylor Swift,” Kuehner said. “If I can get a ticket. I’ve always wanted to go to Coachella and Lollapalooza.”

2022 was a big year for music. In Lovins’ case, he went to his favorite concert he’s ever attended.

“The best artist I have ever seen live is The Flaming Lips, [from the] front row. I was really engaged with the band the whole time, and it was the most immersive concert experience I’ve ever had,” Lovins said.

Going to festivals is an all-around rewarding experience, no matter whose show it is.

“I like the vibe at concerts. I don’t really care who is performing; concerts are just fun, [as is] getting to hear artists and being surrounded by people having a good time,” Kuehner said.

The wholesome effect concerts have on these music lovers is something they will remember for their entire lives.

“Going to festivals is rushing to the barricade at the beginning of the day and camping out all day long to be front row for my favorite bands.”