I have been to two dozen concerts in the past 10 years and all of them have been amazing, but there were a certain few that left me with that after-concert buzz that only happens with certain performances and made them completely unforgettable.

Harry Styles - Treat People With Kindness Tour

This concert was not one that I thought I would enjoy as much as I did. Whoa, there! Before the fans come for me, let me explain. I did not go through a hardcore One Direction phase, although I did enjoy some of their music. So, when all of them began their solo careers, I wasn’t sure what to expect with their individual sounds but was excited to see what they came up with. I wasn’t very familiar with Harry’s debut solo album by the time that Treat People With Kindness (TPWK), Harry’s second solo album, began its release. I liked the sound of the singles that he had dropped for TPWK and was sitting in my dorm room one afternoon; bored and in need of something to spice things up. When I saw he had released tour dates for this new album that hadn’t even been fully released at that point, I immediately texted my sister asking if she was interested in a spontaneous concert that I only had two songs for. She, of course, said yes. Fast forward a few months to when COVID hits and the whole world gets turned upside-down. Everything gets paused, including concerts, so my dream for this spontaneous concert that was supposed to spice life up, gets crushed.

Now fast-forward nearly two years later, unlike a lot of people who had sold their concert tickets, my hopeful self had clung onto them, not giving up my dream. Loe and behold, restrictions lightened up regarding COVID and concerts began, again. We were going to see Harry Styles. And, the best part about waiting? Because we went nearly two years later, my sister and I were rooming with two roommates in our final semester of college who had been randomly assigned to us. These roommates happened to be going to the same concert we were and invited us into their private suite to get a better view of the performance and scream Harry Styles lyrics at the top of our lungs together. They made that experience so special and gave us a night to remember.

Harry is an incredibly engaging performer who knows how to make a room full of tens of thousands of people feel special.

Maybe it was all a lesson in patience or a lesson in seizing the moment. Regardless, all I do know is that I went into that concert unsure if I would even get to go, hesitant if I would even like it, and then shocked at the fact that it had so easily found its way to the top of my favorite concert list. The Treat People With Kindness tour was truly remarkable and the people I got to spend it with made it unforgettable.

Reneé Rapp - Snow Hard Feelings Tour

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Reneé Rapp is iconic. Reneé is a powerhouse vocalist who brings her Broadway skills to her live performances. She has amazing stage presence and, if she ever gets tired with singing, she could definitely take up a career as a comedian. Her humor is effortless and so are her vocals.

The concert was in an old theater that had the most intricately beautiful details on the walls and ceiling. We were seated up in the balcony area that had a dizzying drop to the floor below but made for an amazing viewing experience. Even being so high up, the whole performance could be seen clearly and I could tell that Reneé had a lot of stage experience with how much comfort she had towards performance. On top of that, I was able to experience her concert with three friends in my life who mean a lot to me and we got to bond over our love for her music and make memories together. Reneé was a natural and getting to reminisce on her concert while seeing her now get the recognition and love she deserves, put this concert pretty high on my list.

Lauv - The All For Nothing Tour

From start to finish, this concert was just good vibes and fun times. David Kushner and Hayley Kiyoko opened for Lauv and they both matched his energy so well and really got the crowd amped up for the main performance. Sometimes the energy during openers is underwhelming because the crowd just isn’t as familiar with their songs or people just aren’t giving that artist the same respect and attention they would with the main act. However, all three performances were met with enthusiasm and love by the crowd and it made the whole experience incredible.

Once Lauv got on stage, he was high energy from beginning to end. He was very engaging with the crowd and his live vocals are the same, if not better, in comparison to his studio recordings. This tour was for my favorite album of his so every song was so fun and special to hear live. He had the most humble and genuinely kind energy where it felt like he just wanted to befriend everybody in the crowd which made for an even more special concert experience.

SZA - SOS Tour

Wow. Where do I begin with SZA? Her SOS tour wasn’t just a concert, but a performance, a genuine show. She had choreographed dances, perfectly-timed lighting effects, moving set pieces, change of set pieces in between songs. It was all so well done and left a positive impression on anyone who attended one of her shows.

One of my favorite moments, and I think everyone else can agree, was during her performance of her slow and melodic song “Special”, she literally floated over the crowd in a rowboat that was illuminated by a spotlight. The whole visual of it all was ethereal and memorable.

Noah Kahan - Stick Season Tour

Noah Kahan. What an absolute honor it was to be able to see him live. I was lucky enough to attend his tour right before he amassed popularity on Tik Tok, rightfully so, and was able to avoid the wrath of ticket scalpers who make us pay at least 10x the cost of an average ticket. His music is phenomenal, he doesn’t know how to make a bad song, and his stage presence is so energetic and charismatic. He, like Reneé, could be a comedian with his self-deprecating but relatable sense of humor.

I am very grateful to say that I have never had a bad concert experience. Every show I’ve attended has had so many positives and the performances were great. The people I go with make it fun and I just really love concerts. But, these specific concerts and artists hold a special place in my heart.

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