BY SOPHIA GARRIHY
This past summer, students attended a variety of popular concerts. Different venues throughout the tri-state area provided students with many musical options.
On July 10, Megan Moroney brought her Cloud 9 Tour to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. To keep the audience engaged, she changed where she performed throughout the arena. “She went up onto a lift to do the first surprise song and sang two of her songs on the original setlist. Everybody shined a light during ‘Beautiful Things’,” explained sophomore Danica Perkarsky. “The song means a lot to people, so seeing everyone’s light was a special moment.”
Kesha’s Freedom Tour made its way to a New Jersey stage at PNC Bank Arts Center on August 19. The show consisted of all her top hits, keeping fans guessing what would come next. “My favorite part of the show was all the way at the end, when she said she was ‘done’, but came back for three more incredible songs!” said sophomore Jamie Kopitskie.
To enhance the concert experience, people attend with friends. “I went to Kesha with my best friend, Emilie,” explained Kopitskie.”The best highlight was getting to go to the first concert with my best friend and singing our heads off.”
Bruno Mars’s Romantic Tour broke records among different stadiums worldwide. On September 1, he made his stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Lincoln Financial Field. “The entire crowd had great energy, from the front row of the floor to the last row of the nosebleeds,” said sophomore Kara Deserto. “During the last song, ‘Uptown Funk’, I think everyone realized the show was ending and everyone was singing so loud.”
As summer came to a close, Ed Sheeran brought his Loop Tour to MetLife Stadium for two shows. On September 5, he made changes to the setlist that fans did not expect. “He brought out Brendan B. Brown from Wheatus to sing ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, which was very fun!” said junior Jillian Bresocnik.
When an artist connects with the crowd during the show, it can turn into an intimate and special moment. “Ed started to have us harmonize with him, and it was truly an electric feeling,” explained Bresocnik. “It was during the song ‘Give Me Love’, and it was one of my favorite moments of the night!”
Every summer, fans tend to attend festivals. A popular event was the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, which spanned from September 18-20. “The Strokes were headlining for one of the days, and I got to see more bands/artists like Gorillaz, Blood Orange, JET, Turnstile, and many more despite how hectic my weekend was,” stated senior Krysten Cotangco.
This season of concerts gave fans the opportunity to see artists of all genres.
Posted on October 2, 2026
