I started off by trying to rank my concert experiences but picking favorites feels like trying to pick a favorite child. There hasn’t been a concert where I didn’t have the time of my life so it was hard to put any of them in last place. Instead I’ll just tell you about the some that stand out to me and what made them memorable.  

The first memorable concert for me was when I went to see One Direction in May 2012 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. My first concert was in 2010 but this is the one that really sparked my interest in concerts. It’s also what made me closer to my best friend at the time. We were in eighth grade and we randomly discovered one day that we were both fans of One Direction. None of our other friends ever showed interest in concerts or the music that we liked, so going to this concert together was the first of many. It was at this concert that I also fell in love with the sense of belonging that I feel when I’m in the audience at a show. 

One Direction wasn’t the only boyband that I loved. I’ve seen Big Time Rush in concert two times, one of which was a very last minute decision. In July 2013 my sister and her friend had tickets to see Big Time Rush at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, NY. They had meet and greet tickets so they had to be there early. I went along for the ride with my dad because we had planned to drop them off and then go to the Saratoga Race Course and get dinner later while waiting for the concert to be over. I remember complaining a lot during the ride there, saying how jealous I was and how much I wished I was going to the concert, too. After we dropped my sister and her friend off, as a result of my incessant whining probably, my dad went to the ticket box office and asked if there were any tickets left. There was a single ticket not far from the stage. There was also another single ticket in the row directly behind it. My dad said he would buy it for me. Meanwhile, I was texting my best friend about the other single ticket. We ended up buying both tickets and my best friend convinced her mom to drive an hour and drop her off at the venue that night to go to the concert. 

SPAC is one of my favorite venues and the shows there never disappoint. Personally I’ve always been able to find the best tickets for low prices at SPAC. When I saw 5 Seconds of Summer there in August 2015 it was no different. This concert was memorable for me because it was the closest I have ever been at a 5SOS concert. I was on the right side of the stage in the fifth row. I just remember having the best time at that concert with my sister.

One last SPAC experience is when I saw Halsey there in July 2018. Halsey is hands down the best live performer I’ve ever seen. Her outfits, the visuals, and her amazing voice and stage presence always make for a great show. I’d seen her once before at TD Garden but I wasn’t nearly as close I was at SPAC. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to have good seats to enjoy yourself at a concert, but sometimes it’s an added perk. I was supposed to see Halsey again this summer but her tour got rescheduled to 2021 because of covid-19. 

Another memorable concert for me was when I saw One Direction at Gillette Stadium in September 2015. This was my fifth time seeing them in concert and also the last time. I had gone to all of their tours and this was their last North American show they played before going on hiatus. I went with my sister and we had floor tickets; I had never been on the floor in a big stadium like Gillette before. As someone who was very invested in the band, it was also a weird experience because it was the first time I had seen them in concert as 4 members instead of 5 after Zayn Malik left the band in March 2015. Our seats on the floor were close to the catwalk that extended out from the stage, so we had a very good view for most of the concert. 

Fast forward three years and I’m now paying to see One Direction members on their solo tours. I saw Niall Horan in concert twice in September 2018, once at the Xfinity Center in MA and once at the Xfinity Theatre in CT. They are very similar venues except the CT one holds about 10,000 more people. As much as I was upset when One Direction went on hiatus, I can’t deny that Niall Horan really excels as a solo artist. His voice is amazing live and he has a very fun stage presence. I had pretty good seats at both shows. These shows were during the first couple weeks of the Fall 2018 semester, so it was kind of stressful, but they ended up being worth it. 

I could tell a story about all of my other concerts but these are some that came to mind. It makes me a little sad thinking back on my past shows knowing that I won’t be able to attend another one until at least 2021, but it’s nice to know I have so many good memories to sustain me until then.