Three Concerts in Three Cities in Three Months

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Three Concerts in Three Cities in Three Months

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who despise clamorous and chaotic concerts and those who flourish in the intoxicating nature of them. I am the latter — I love the electricity of being at a concert. I love feeling the bass thumping straight through my heart, breathing in the air of excitement, seeing everyone dressed up and listening to the music come to life. There is something surreal about seeing your idol perform in front of you. It makes you realize that they are just real, ordinary humans with an extraordinary talent. Going to a concert always makes me think that my dreams are achievable because I’m seeing someone else live theirs. There is always that gratifying breath you take after a concert, when your ears are ringing, your throat is rugged and raw after hours of belting and you realize that it is over, and that this magical moment has passed. I guess that’s why I lined up three concerts within three months — I wanted to chase the magic.

The first concert I attended was the GUTS Tour with Olivia Rodrigo. I saw her at Chase Center in San Francisco with my two best friends from high school. This concert will

Zoey Cambley

always have a special place in my heart because it gave me nostalgia of when I first started to listen to Rodrigo in high school. I remember belting “Driver’s License” with my friends in high school with the windows down, and now they are by my side at the concert. One of the most unexpected songs I grew an appreciation for afterwards was “Teenage Dream” because I realized how far I had come from being a teenager, and it made me look back on that formative era with love instead of embarrassment. Other than being a fabulous performer and songstress, Rodrigo represents all our youth and growth, our girlhood and womanhood. She balances all the sadness, happiness, confusion and anger that I felt at that time in my life. With songs like “Jealousy, Jealousy” relating to the recurrent struggles of comparison to others, or “Logical,” describing how to be more compassionate to yourself for past relationship choices, both songs along with her entire set list represent all this angst in a perfect two hour show.

Next on the docket: Hozier on the Unreal Unearth Tour. I would say this was the concert I was the most

excited for since I’ve loved Hozier for years. I am a self-proclaimed fangirl for a lot of artists, but I love this Irish lad with all my heart — and he did not disappoint. I traveled to Sacramento with my friend to attend this concert on a Monday night and didn’t get back until 2 a.m., and I have no regrets about that. I would drive in the middle of the night again and again to see Hozier perform. First and foremost, the set list was spectacular, hit after hit perfectly curated. His voice is truly laced with honey, and he sings from the depths of his soul. Along with sultry singing, the band and stage setup complimented his performance extremely well. The simplicity of his setup lets his vocals shine and meanings attached to them soar. For most of the slower songs, it was just him and his guitar singing into the mic. “Like Real People Do” was probably one of my favorites in the show, mainly because of how I’ve latched on to the song for years and he conveyed all the emotions I’ve felt in his performance. Some other honorable mentions are “Movement” and “Francesca,” which exploded with talent and ascended into sweet, poetic, lyrical perfection. Then at

the end of the show Hozier came back on for an encore and spoke about Palestine and the importance of voting. Coming from a nation that fought against English occupation, he explained that it is crucial to keep fighting against Western colonization. My affection for him expanded even more when he discussed these topics and showed how artists need to use their platforms to raise awareness. To follow it up, he played “Nina Cried Power,” a song that is a tribute to Nina Simone and other civil rights activists. I left the concert feeling hopeful that there are some people who deserve to be famous, and who use their platforms to make change in the world.

The last and final concert was Conan Gray on the Found Heaven tour. Going back to Las Vegas, my hometown, to The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, a venue I have been to a few times growing up, this concert brought back the same feeling of nostalgia that I had with Rodrigo. Gray is one of those artists with whom it is almost impossible not to have a parasocial relationship with. He is not only chronically online, but writes music that feels like a di-

ary entry or a chaotic FaceTime call with your best friend. His concert was no different, from his witty banter to wearing a shirt that said “The Birds Work for the Bourgeoisie.” But I will say that this concert was the most surprising to me because it superseded all my expectations. From his earth-shattering vocals to campy costumes, his creative stage presence captivated me the most out of the three artists. Although I cried to “Memories” and “Family Line,” I still felt like the show was as lighthearted as Gray himself. His new 80s aesthetic reminded me of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, with his fabulous star-themed two piece and synthesizer soundtrack. I loved witnessing the star that Gray is and how he is able to sing about such heartache while still being this shining light soaring for his fans.

While I am very honored to have had the privilege of attending all of these concerts, I understand the exhaustion and inconvenience that accompany them. Not only did I have to travel to each, I had to factor in travel expenses and where I would stay. On top of planning the trips, I ran into other major inconvenienc-

es in each city. In San Francisco, my friends and I had to find sanctuary in Insomnia Cookies and pay for a $50 uber to escape the hordes of Livies, after already having requested three separate drivers who canceled. Then, after being blessed by Hozier, my elated state wore off as I realized I forgot where I parked my car, and my friend and I had to walk around downtown Sacramento at 11 pm to find it. Through tears and temporary terror, we found my car an hour later. Finally, for Conan Gray, the same friend and I had to run through the Reno airport at 5:50 a.m. because our flight took off at 6 a.m. to Las Vegas. We didn’t make that flight and a crocs slipper was almost lost, but we got on the next flight and made it two hours before the concert. It’s safe to say I will not be traveling to see a concert anytime soon — I got my fix.

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