Breakout artist Gracie Abrams has been making her way around the United States this year touring her brand new album The Secret of Us. This album, featuring heart wrenching ballads and chart-topping hits has catapulted her career, giving her more streams and fans than ever before. This tour, expected to be her biggest yet, has proven to be a great success for the artist as she takes a break from opening for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. When tickets went on sale earlier this year, I was quick to prepare for the anxiety inducing Ticketmaster presale. Securing General Admission tickets was no easy feat, but Sousa Waggoner (12) and I overcame the infamous Ticketmaster queue by yelling at each other over Facetime and began to anticipate the best night of our lives.
Abrams’ Atlanta stop was at the Coca Cola Roxy, a venue with a relatively smaller capacity of 3,600. With the majority of people being on the floor, lines began from 4:30 am that morning to get a good spot near the barricade. Magnet Junior Bennett McKnight, who also attended TSOU Atlanta, says that he got there at 7:30 am to get a good view and wanted me to say that he acknowledges that it is “an absurd time to arrive.” He had quite the set up with camping chairs, snacks, and even his calculus homework. “Shout out to Mrs. Renes,” he stated. Since doors did not open until 7:00 pm, Bennett was there for a full twelve hours. He said that in line he “chilled, walked around, made friends with the people next to us, made some bracelets, took a nap, and stayed hydrated.”
We did not get in line until around 3:00 pm because Sousa was occupied with a college tour that morning. We also did not bring any camping supplies and chose to sit on the ground the majority of the time. To move our legs a bit, Sousa and I made a trip to Kung Fu Tea where we saw a member of Gracie’s crew and enjoyed a delicious boba. As hours passed in line we made friends with lots of girls around us, all of whom we ended up standing with during the actual concert. If camping for a concert, I’d say this is the best way to pass time.
The line started moving at 7:00 pm and as we got closer and closer to the entrance of The Roxy, the Atlanta Braves’ double header game got let out. Swarms of Acuña Jr. jerseys began to fill the yellow and black bow-lined streets. After we got through security, we made a dash to the sides of the pit, where we scored a great spot very close to the stage. Merch was bought and the pre-show playlist was played before our opener ROLE MODEL, also known as Tucker, came on stage. Tucker played songs from his new album Kansas Anymore along with a very well executed cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”
At 9:00 pm Gracie came on stage and the energy in the room was immediately elevated. Starting her setlist backstage illuminated by blue light, she began singing track one of her album, “Felt Good About You.” She played nine songs before sitting down at the piano to play her acoustic surprise song. Bennett was hoping for “Rockland,” Sousa was hoping for “Difficult” and I was hoping for “Fault Line” or “Cedar.” It’s safe to say none of us were disappointed when she began playing “Difficult” off of her debut studio album, Good Riddance.
The show lasted about two hours and was chock full of incredible visuals, lighting, and above all: music. The Coca Cola Roxy, however, was lacking in several departments. The air conditioning in the venue was not functioning well enough for a concert like this and as a result, more than five people ended up fainting due to heat. The security guards were not passing out water and were being rude when it was requested. The show was stopped several times due to security not helping those passing out in the pit and due to this, some fans posted online about it.
Regardless of these things, everyone made it through the night and came out with incredible memories. (See our “Close to You” mosh at the end here) Bennett says he would rate this concert a 21/10 and I would have to agree. If you haven’t heard Gracie’s music I would highly recommend checking out not only her newest studio album The Secret of Us, but also some of the music off her EPs. All I can look forward to now is seeing Gracie again in about 10 days as she returns to open for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in Miami. Are you seeing Gracie soon? Drop a comment and let me know! Stay tuned for more!
