Carly Peterson

Artist Charles Wesley Godwin preforms on stage in Omaha, Nebraska

The lights dim, the sound of drumming fills your ears, and a bead of sweat runs down the back of your neck from the heat. A hum of excitement washes through the crowd, and it feels like summer. 

Numerous artists have gone on tour this past summer, and many students have made lifelong memories going to their concerts. Some students went to local venues to see their favorite artists, and others even traveled internationally.       

“I went to the Eras Tour in London,” sophomore Surina Burlington said.

Burlington saw Taylor Swift at Wembley Stadium in early August. It was the third time she had seen Swift live, and the first time she had traveled internationally to see the artist.

An expensive plane ride is not necessary to go see a great concert. Many amazing music artists have played in Nebraska this summer, and many more such as Teddy Swims and Billie Eilish are on their way. 

Sophomore Kaylee Cook saw Luke Bryan live back in July at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. 

“He was really good, I loved it,” Cook said.

Others have had to drive a bit further south to see their favorite artist in concert. Juniors Autumn Smith and Bri Greene drove the hour-long stretch to Lincoln, Nebraska earlier this month to see Hozier play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. 

“It was really good, it looked very cool and sounded very cool,” Greene said. 

The show was part of Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth” tour. This is the first time Greene has seen Hozier live.

Concerts are an amazing way to make memories with the people around them, and they can be a great bonding experience as well.

“For the Eras Tour I went with my mom and family friends, which was a really fun experience for the both of us,” Burlington said. 

The people around a concert-goer are not what makes the concert a great experience, though; many people have made amazing personal memories by themselves.

“I went alone, actually,” Smith said. “It was really good. [Hozier] was really good at singing even though he was sick, which was kinda cool.”  

There is no doubt about it, live music is an emotional and personal experience that everyone should be able to experience. 

“It was really motivational, in a way,” Cook said. 

The lights turn on and the crowd’s cheers simmer down. You shiver with a chill. The concert is over now and so is your summer, but the memories will last you a lifetime.