Imagine stepping into a sold out arena, the lights are dark and your favorite artist is about to go on stage. This is a feeling some VHHS students have experienced this year.
A multitude of VHHS students have attended some of the most popular concerts this year, including Drake, SZA and Taylor Swift. Over 100 students attended these concerts along with music festivals like Lollapalooza, Country Thunder, and Summer Smash.
Students like to go to concerts to get the full experience. They like to hear the loud music from their favorite artists live with the thousands of people bringing the experience to life, according to Caylie Zahnow (12).
“The energy at concerts is one of my favorite parts because I get to feel like I’m a part of something special for one night, and of course I like to hear the artist perform live; it’s better than listening to them over the radio,” said Zahnow.
Drake went on tour with 21 Savage during the summer, the tickets were priced higher since this was Drake’s first North American tour in five years. Zahnow spent $400 on her ticket in the nosebleed section.
“Drake was worth $400. He was the best concert I’ve ever been to, the energy of the concert was something I’ll never forget,” said Zahnow.
Not all concerts are this expensive. Brandon Smith (12) went to a smaller venue in Milwaukee to see Daniel Caesar at the Rave Eagles Club, paying $112 for his ticket.
“It was such a cool experience. The crowd wasn’t too big, and I really loved the venue. I also love Daniel Caesar’s music,” said Smith.
Concerts and festivals are not similar. Festivals allow you to see many different artists at once, but for a short amount of time. Festivals are more intense and the whole atmosphere is sweaty, loud, and claustrophobic, according to Cate Pangilinan (11).
“I prefer concerts because I feel more connected to that artist than a festival with multiple artists I only know a couple songs to,” said Pangilinan.
Pangilinan attended Lollapalooza, while Zahnow attended both Lollapalooza and Country Thunder.
Lollapalooza, also referred to as Lolla, is a festival hosted in Grant Park, Chicago. This year, it was held from August 3-6 and the headliners included Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Lana Del Ray. The festival also featured other artists such as Louis the Child, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Noah Kahan, and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Country Thunder is a festival hosted in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. This year, it was from July 20-23 with the headliners being Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Jason Aldean, and Keith Urban. There were also performances from Carly Pearce, Parker McCollum, and Bailey Zimmerman.
Summer Smash is a festival featuring rap artists. This year the location was moved to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois and was held from June 23-25. With the headliners of Kid Cudi, Future, and Playboi Carti featuring special guests like Lil Uzi Vert, and Lil Durk. There were also performances from Ice Spice, Trippie Redd, and NLE Choppa.
According to Pangilinan and Zahnow, they both spent a lot of money on their festival tickets. Festival tickets range from $99-$2000. There are different types of tickets for festivals, such as general admission, VIP, and Platinum.
Although both concerts and festivals can be very expensive, some students believe it’s worth their money.
“You pay for an experience and have those memories forever,” said Pangilinan.