15 Artists On the Road Again

Artists On the Road

Again By: Valerie Reyes Editor-in-Chief

After two years of anticipation, fans are finally able to see their favorite artist perform live this summer. Due to the pandemic, tours and festivals that were scheduled to take place in 2020 were either canceled or postponed until 2021 or 2022.

During the time of no live music, many artists resorted to streaming concerts in order to keep fans entertained. Artists may have performed intimate shows, but they lacked the connection and energy from fans compared to a live concert experience.

According to www.frontiersin.org, “Live audiences move more vigorously, have stronger musical experiences and have the opportunity to interact directly with the performer, possibly strengthening parasocial relationships between the audience and performers.”

Concerts create a safe space for fans to connect with their favorite artist and be themselves with hundreds of other people around them. Nothing beats the feeling of bonding with the people around you, dancing and singing with no judgment.

University of St. Francis junior, Hannah Pacheco says, “I absolutely love going to concerts, and I am so excited that they are finally coming back. I have always loved live music and really took a liking to going to see my favorite artists since I was a kid. Not only does it bring me closer to artists I support, but it also creates a safe environment for me to be myself and validates my sense of belonging."

"One of my favorite things about going to concerts is being able to hear the crowd sing back the lyrics to the artist. There is something so special about those moments that gives me chills every time I experience it! This summer, I will be attending four concerts: Olivia Rodrigo, 5 Seconds of Summer, The Weeknd and Big Time Rush, and I couldn’t be any happier! It’s something that I hope everyone gets to experience once in their lifetime,” Pacheco shares.

As a fangirl who loves attending concerts, I am more than happy to see they are making a comeback this year. Usually, I try to attend a lot of concerts during the summer. This year I’ll only be attending 5 Seconds of Summer, a band that I’m very excited to see since I bought my ticket back in 2019. Other than that, I don’t have any other concert plans unless I make an impulsive decision to see the Backstreet Boys, Big Time Rush or Shawn Mendes.

According to www.aarp.org, Andy Gensler, editor for Pollstar, says, “There are more tours getting going right now than we know what to do with. Fans have so much to choose from in 2022.”

There are a good number of concerts and festivals happening this summer in Chicago such as Bad Bunny, Chris Stapleton, Greta Van Fleet, Lollapalooza, Mas Flow Fest, Monsta X, The Weeknd and many more.

Now that live music is back, the concert atmosphere is going to be amazing because everyone in the crowd has been waiting two years, three years or even longer to see their favorite artist again. Everyone’s excitement has been building for this moment.

Concerts can create great memories and may even be a once in a lifetime experience, so if you get the chance to see your favorite artist this summer, take it.