A continuation of my previous article.

Wren Allen (12) – Padadena, California / Coldplay

Starting off with senior Wren Allen, she traveled all the way to California to see Coldplay because “they were only playing on the West Coast.” Okay, valid. When asked if it was worth it, Wren said, “I got to take a trip to LA and missed school, so it was worth it.” Sounds like she had a great trip.

Jordan Burrell (12) – Washington D.C. / Drake and 21 Savage

Next up, Jordan really got a two-in-one as she got to experience seeing both Nancy Mace and Drake during a trip to the nation’s capital. She recalls, “D.C. is one of my favorite places in the US and I was already getting a tour of the Capitol with Nancy Mace, so I thought why not also see Drake as well.”

Literally, why not? Jordan also said,  “Drake has been my favorite artist ever since I could really understand lyrics and music, and he still continues to be my favorite artist every year on Spotify wrapped.” Wow, what a true fan.

Drake’s ‘It’s All a Blur Tour’ began on July 5, 2023, in Chicago, IL, and is still ongoing in 2024 as it started up on January 18 of this year in Denver, CO, and will continue until March 27, with the last show being in Birmingham, AL.

Maris Jones (12) – Nashville, TN / Taylor Swift

One of two Taylor Swift mentions in this article, senior Maris Jones flew to the birthplace of Swift’s music career as she “had a feeling she would do something special for the Nashville shows.” And she was right! Maris excitedly recalled, “[Taylor] announced Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) at my show and brought out Phoebe Bridgers to sing their song together! Also, it was a very good way to go on one last trip with my older sister before she left for college.” Aww, how sweet. 

Riley Sisak (11) – Las Vegas, NV / BTS

A devoted fan, junior Riley Sisak went to Las Vegas to see the world-renowned K-pop boy group BTS. Riley said she “wanted to go before the band members had to do their mandatory military service, and the SoFi stadium happened to be the only place they were performing.” However, she had a few things to say about her actual experience with the concert.

“The trip itself was worth it. I enjoyed Las Vegas because there are many things to do. Seeing BTS perform some of the most insane choreography live was astounding. I enjoyed that aspect of the show. However, a stadium as big as the SoFi stadium is bound to have awful sound quality. The higher up your seats were, the more the sound bounced off the walls of the stadium. On top of that, the police had to block off the highway next to the stadium because there were so many people going to the concert. When the show was over, people swarmed the doors and crammed their way out onto the highway. A normally 10-minute walk from the stadium to our hotel became a 40-minute walk because of the sheer number of people. So, it’s better to just see a band at a smaller venue, preferably local.”

Well, I’m saddened to hear that you didn’t have that great of a concert experience, Riley, but I hope you get to see them again in the future once they return from the military!

Piper Hudgins (12) – Orlando, Florida / Men I Trust

Senior Piper Hudgins and her friends took a trip down to Orlando, FL, to see what she claims was “literally the best concert of [her] life.” They got to see Men I Trust and chose Orlando simply because it “was the closest place they were during their tour.” Piper says the trip was worth it as “they sounded even better live, and everyone’s vibe was so chill and fun.” Additionally, she and her friends got to sit in balcony seats instead of having to stand the whole time since it was a small venue. 

No wonder why it was the best concert of her life. Good vibes, good friends, and good seats, what more could you ask for?

Bella Costa (11) – Nashville, TN / Black Pumas

Straying away from the senior class for another second, junior Bella Costa got to see the Black Pumas in Nashville, TN, as she “was already in Tennessee to visit family.” Bella expressed, “I really like their music, the venue was really pretty, and they performed really well.” Sounds like the concert was a hit on all fronts. 

Connor Sawall (12) – Charleston / Mike Dimes and Dro Kenji

Not having traveled very far…senior Connor Sawall stayed local in Charleston and attended Music Farm to see Mike Dimes and Dro Kenji, “cause Dro Kenji a hometown hero.” Connor says about his experience, “Music Farm was hype. All four artists performed well. I had fun with my boy Charlie Bhat.” 

Holly Manning (12) – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Taylor Swift

Miss Americana, Cat Lady, T-Swift, Tay-Tay, T-Swizzle, etc, is back again, as senior Holly Manning went to Philly to see Taylor Swift in concert. Holly says, “we had friends who lived there, so free to stay, and it was close enough for my bsf (best friend) in VA to come up with us.” Holly enjoyed the concert simply “Because it’s Taylor Swift.” Enough said.

Natasha Keisler (12) – Naples, Italy / Coldplay

Ending off the article with a sort of full circle moment, another senior, Natasha Keisler, got to experience Coldplay in concert. However, she got to see them all the way in Italy! Natasha said her “family was planning a trip to Italy anyway, so [her] sister and [her] got tickets to see them!” Natasha stated, “As an avid concert-goer, Coldplay was one of the best bands I’ve seen, along with Arctic Monkeys. Their energy is soso good live and they had fireworks and a huge 3d setup, and a lot of confetti. It was literally unforgettable experience hearing all of their songs live along with a bunch of Italians, especially being in the pit because they were so close.” However, she ran into some issues as “the concert was amazing but the organization to get there was so confusing and stressful and [they] were about to miss the concert,” but fortunately she and her sister met a kind security guard “who let [them] cut through all the lines to get in” after they “literally had to cry.” 

This concludes this two-part article series. Thanks for reading!