The Front Row and its Far Reach

Concerts… the live music, performers, lights, and the excitement. Everything you’ve eagerly let into your ears through your AirPods is now in front of you in real time.

Whether having already experienced the rush of a live concert or eagerly awaiting the first one, the excitement is something many students can relate to, for the joy and power that live music evokes can be felt throughout the crowd. 

“I went to a Green Day concert last year, it was a cool place to be at,” freshman Jack Beken said, “I want to go to a Chili Peppers concert in the future.”

However, a handful of students have never been to a concert and would like the experience—especially given the chance to see their dream show. 

“I have never been to a concert, but I want to go see Katy Perry,” freshman Emma Stradiot said.

Although the ringing in her ears may have stopped years ago, the sense of being there in the stadium hasn’t left freshman Leah Vollmer. For her, her first concert served as an escape from reality.  

“My first concert was in Delaware for the Delaware State Fair, and we went to see Laney Wilson,” Vollmer said. “We weren’t in the nosebleeds. She’s super good, super awesome, and I love her music. I still listen to it.”

According to Vollmer, concerts bring a sense of enthusiasm to the room, an experience that she knows well. Looking back on the show she attended several years ago, she described it as pure happiness. 

“The concert made me feel very happy because it was my first ever. And since that point, I haven’t been to a concert. I just felt super excited to be there listening to live music,” Vollmer said. 

Tuning in to the live music, Leah describes how in-person music brings warmth, joy, and passion to the body, mind, and soul. 

“I think live music is a lot more beneficial to your eardrums,” Vollmer said. “Listening to it in person brings out something in your soul. Having that interaction, just seeping in with the music, the aura, I feel like it’s just a lot better.”

Whether you’ve been to five concerts or are waiting for your first, the draw of live music brings a community together. The energy, the passion, and the excitement all collide to create a perfect moment in time. 

“I definitely do want to go to more concerts because they’re just so much fun,” Vollmer said. “Even if you’re not super close to what’s happening, I think that going to a concert of any kind is really fun. Live music is the way to go.”