Sabrina Carpenter
As the lights dimmed and the first chords of music echoed across the arena, the crowd erupted in a wave of cheers and applause. Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter kicked off her first arena tour, The Short N’ Sweet Tour, in Columbus on Sept. 23.
The atmosphere was exhilarating, and I was among many teenage girls eagerly waiting for the show to begin. The anticipation grew in the atmosphere after the opening act, Amaarae, finished, and we waited 30 minutes for Carpenter to walk on stage.
From the moment she appeared, Carpenter had the audience captivated. She opened the show with her hit song “Taste” off of her latest album “Short N’ Sweet,” setting the tone for an unforgettable night. Her setlist included every song from her most recent album and many of her older songs like “Because I liked A Boy” and “Nonsense.”
My favorite part of the concert was her performances of “Juno” and “Tornado Warnings.” For “Juno,” the screen was covered in colorful visuals that energized the crowd. “Tornado Warnings” is an older song from her fifth album “Emails I Can’t Send,” and I wasn’t expecting her to play it, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Amidst all the singing and loud cheering, Carpenter had great interactions with the crowd. She made a point to engage with the audience by talking about her family in Columbus and why she chose to have her first show of the tour here. It made the concert feel friendly and personal compared to other shows.
Many complained about the concert being too short at one hour and 25 minutes, but I think it was the perfect amount of time–I never felt there was something missing.
The highlight of the show was definitely the production. There were lots of videos between the songs, including cartoons and “commercials” with references to her songs. This kept the audience energized during the breaks between songs. For example, a ceiling fan appeared, alluding to a verse in Carpenter’s hit single “Please Please Please.” The set itself looked like a TV set, so the audience could watch her move from room to room as she sang. It added an element of fun and excitement to the performance.
Hearing Carpenter’s new songs live gives me a new appreciation for her music. I will have fond memories of her concert when I listen to them. She delivered an outstanding and impressive performance that hit all the right notes.
Noah Kahan
When driving to Blossom Music Center with my friend, our music and directions suddenly cut out. Navigating to the Noah Kahan concert in Cleveland, Ohio was already difficult, and we had entered a forest where the Internet was unreliable. We wondered if we would ever make it to this concert that we had been waiting for for months.
Before the concert, the venue, an open-air amphitheater in the middle of the forest, was buzzing with eager fans chatting, singing and staking out the best spot in the grass to watch the show. The excitement came to a head when Kahan came on stage and opened the show with one of his most popular songs, “Dial Drunk,” with fans singing along to every word.
Kahan put on an amazing show with a perfect amount of songs from the touring album “Stick Season (Forever)” like “Homesick,” “Northern Attitude” and “You’re Gonna Go Far.” He also included an incredible balance of his older songs like “False Confidence” and “Godlight.” Tying in the older music with the widely popular new album was a treat for members of the crowd who have been fans for a long time.
My favorite songs Kahan performed were “Homesick” and “Mess.” “Homesick” was an incredible performance because of the energy and heart Kahan and his band brought to the song. “Mess” is an older song Kahan performed, and I loved hearing it live when I wasn’t expecting it. He doesn’t play it often, so it was a nice surprise.
In between the excitement of the loud music and cheering, Kahan found time to connect with the audience and talk personally with a few fans. He drew a tattoo for a crowd member and made jokes about Ohio, making the show personal and unique for the audience.
Kahan performed on a minimal stage which added to the simple and personal feeling. He played his guitar for all of the songs and had a small band that accompanied him for some of them. In the middle of the show, he moved to a stage that was in the middle of the audience, but after only a few songs he moved back to the main stage. The venue and stage were the perfect choices for his concert because of the folk and acoustic sound to his music.
Being in the middle of the forest with limited Internet access made the concert feel unplugged and intimate. Everyone was living in the moment and enjoying the concert. At other concerts, it can feel as if audience members are focused on getting the best pictures and videos instead of having a good time, but this one was the complete opposite.
Before we knew it, Kahan was coming out for an encore after finishing his set. The final song of the encore, the title track of the touring album “Stick Season,” was full of emotion and excitement as well as sadness as we all knew the concert was coming to a close.
This concert was one of my favorites I have ever been to. It left me searching for the next time he would be near so I could buy tickets. I’m sure everyone was singing Noah Kahan the whole way home.
Zach Bryan
From the moment I bought my tickets, I counted down the days until I would hear my favorite artist perform live at the Ohio Stadium nine months later. I eagerly awaited the time when I would hear my new favorite artist, Zach Bryan, perform live.
I listened to Bryan for months prior to the concert, but the music I heard through my headphones could never compare to what I heard in the stadium live. Not only did I feel a deeper connection to the lyrics and artist, but also with the people attending the concert. There was something special about being surrounded by a group of people who share the same passion as I do.
Although Bryan took a few extra minutes to appear on stage, the crowd was incredible, killing time by passing the wave across all sides of the stadium. Luckily, his performance was worth the wait.
Bryan switched between his upbeat, energetic songs and his calmer, acoustic songs throughout the night which kept me on my toes. I never knew what was coming next, and it showed how diverse his music is.
Another song that especially stood out to me was “Burn, Burn, Burn.” Not only was this because of Bryan’s outstanding vocals and meaningful lyrics, but also because of a heartfelt moment that happened as he sang.
About halfway through, I heard screaming behind me. I turned around to see the excited squeals were not just for the amazing song, but for a man who was on one knee holding an engagement ring in his hand. Although I had never seen this couple before, I couldn’t help but feel happy I got to witness this special moment. I snapped a quick picture and after the concert I exchanged numbers with the woman, and I still hear from her with updates about their wedding to this day.
As the 15 minute encore of Bryan’s hit song “Revival” brought the night to a close, it felt bittersweet. I was thankful I got to experience something so great, but I was sad the concert and anticipation was suddenly over. My only complaint about the concert was it couldn’t last forever.
