Charlotte Price, Reporter
@charpcourant
The thrill of getting ready for a concert is a feeling unlike no other. Feeling that gnawing anticipation, listening to that artists’ album on repeat, maybe even texting your friends to coordinate outfits—it all leads up to that big moment: impatiently waiting for the opening act to end while sitting on the edge of your seat to hear the bursting energy of the crowd as the artist enters the stage.
The music swallows you whole as your eardrums feel like they might shatter, but in the best way possible. You might even lose your voice the next day.
Once COVID-19 hit, we had to say goodbye to concerts for a while. With controversy on mask-wearing and coordinating seating, many artists postponed or even cancelled their concerts that were scheduled for last spring, summer and fall. But now with the onset of a vaccine and more knowledge about the virus, concerts of all genres are back this summer.
These concerts aren’t exactly like concerts pre-COVID, however. According to Ticketmaster’s website, seats are socially distanced, masks are required, venues are deep cleaned, temperatures are checked, and fans are only allowed in the venue in waves to prevent large groups. Some venues are drive-in only, meaning that fans have to stay in their car with the windows closed while watching.
On The Courant’s Instagram story, polls were taken regarding the onset of summer concerts. When NCHS students were asked if they are planning to attend concerts this summer, 18% answered yes. To follow up, 91% of students said they wanted to attend concerts including those who don’t have tickets already.
To follow up, students were asked if they were bothered by the fact that there are summer concerts during COVID. While others said yes, a group of students went into more detail about their answer. “As long as the right precautions are being taken, I think it should be fine,” one student said. To give a quite different perspective, another response included, “Yes! We all want things to go back to normal and this pushes it further back.”
The closest concert is Beach Boys on April 3, playing at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.
