By Juliana Johnson & Mia Mendez

Whether it was people posting about Taylor Swift or Drake concerts, you’ve likely seen firsthand the absolute grip these artists’ performances have on their fan bases. Over the past few years, many music artists had to cancel tours due to COVID restrictions but continued to release new music during quarantine.

This phenomenon has led to the massive concert boom we saw this past summer in which shows are longer, larger, and encompassing many of the artist’s previously un-performed tracks.
Taylor Swift’s “Era’s Tour” is a perfect example of this trend. Swifties from all over the nation flocked to buy tickets to Swift’s shows such as at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where Swift attracted over 70,000 fans. Tickets to the Eras Tour were both pricey and difficult to obtain.
Social Studies teacher Lara Willig tried for months to get her hand on tickets for one of Swift’s Los Angeles shows.

“Someone reached out to us to sell tickets, only a month before the show,” Willig said. “We definitely manifested it.”

Like Willig, many other concert fans have faced similar challenges in obtaining tickets for their favorite artists due to the massive fan bases of these pop stars.

Senior Kayla Diamond had much more luck in securing tickets for her favorite pop star, Beyonce during her Renaissance tour.

“My dad got [tickets] for us through pre-sale,” Diamond said. “He was put on a waitlist and notified when tickets were available.” Diamond attended Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour on September 4.

With many fans facing such difficulties obtaining tickets and paying absurd amounts of money when they do, why do so many still flock to these concerts?

“I go to concerts to have a deep connection with the artists,” senior Logen Jacobo, who attended Kanye West and Drake’s performance at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022, said. “There is a vibe you don’t get from headphones, but you get it from live music. The only way to feel it is by going to these mega concerts. Fans have no choice.”

For fans like Jacobo, the people around them enhance the show’s experience.

“When I was with all those people, and singing those songs, I felt like I wasn’t alone,” Jacobo said.
Willig, who had previously seen Taylor Swift during her Speak Now tour in 2011, felt that the Era’s Tour, despite being almost double the size, was just as incredible.

“It was just a very different vibe,” Willig said. “Even if you were far away, you still felt close.”

In the age of social media especially, concert going has taken on a whole new shape. As seen with Swift’s Era’s Tour, fans created a whole culture surrounding the show’s outfits, etiquette, and preparation.

“We prepared and watched all the TikToks,” Willig said. “I learned what the traffic was like, and got inspiration for my outfits, which was helpful since I’m pregnant and I didn’t know what to do. Sure I kind of knew what was going to happen, but it didn’t take the fun out of anything.”

Others try their best to stay off of social media when preparing for their concerts.

“I didn’t want to spoil it for myself,” Diamond said. “I’ve been listening to the setlist and made a Pinterest board for my outfit. But I wanted to be surprised by the show and what Beyonce did. That’s the fun of it.”

With concerts back in full swing after being absent for so long, it’s no surprise that they have taken on new shapes. If one thing’s for sure though, it’s that no matter how much the tickets cost, or how many people attend, it’s all worth it to see your favorite musicians up on stage.