The Covid-19 pandemic caused a major setback in live music. All musicians were forced to cancel their shows and/or postpone their tours following Covid safety guidelines. However, after almost two years, many musical artists are making their way back on stage to perform live in front of their fans.
Some Sacred Heart University students reflected on what it was like to enjoy their favorite artist’s music during the pandemic.
“Last year, Luke Combs had an online concert that I watched on YouTube. It was great, though I was heartbroken that I wasn’t able to experience this type of show in person,” said junior Alaina DeRose.
Harry Styles is one of the musicians, after putting his tour on hold in 2020, who is performing live again, to many fans’ excitement. Styles will preform hits from his latest album “Fine Line” during his appropriately titled show, “Love on Tour.”
“I was a big One Direction fan back in the day and I’m so excited to see that Harry is performing live. I saw him live recently at Madison Square Garden and the experience was amazing! He’s a great musician and I fell more in love with him after seeing him live,” said DeRose.
Styles isn’t the only artist back on stage. Popular boy band the Jonas Brothers are also back to preforming live.
“I first saw the Jonas Brothers in 2008 when I was at a Hannah Montana concert. Seeing them again live was a lot of fun,” said senior Sarah Lindskog.
The Jonas Brothers will be touring with their “Remember This” show through 2022, which features a variety of new and nostalgic hits from the band. According to Forbes, “Nearly a decade in the making, their comeback tour has taken the world by storm.”
Many shows, including “Love on Tour” and “Remember This,” require all attendees to be fully vaccinated and/or wear masks to attend.
Another artist, rapper and pop-punk singer Machine Gun Kelly, is currently on his “Tickets to My Downfall” tour featuring the songs from his newest album of the same name. According to Billboard, “The tour will be followed by a new album release with recurring collaborator, Travis Barker. ‘Born with Horns’ will serve as a contrast to his last release.”
“I saw MGK prior to quarantine. Not only is he a great artist with consistently great music, but he is a great performer as well. I really enjoyed his show back in 2019, and I would absolutely see him again,” said junior Nina DiProfio.
Along with concerts, music festivals such as the Governor’s Ball, Firefly and Rolling Loud have returned to being in-person events.
“I loved Gov Ball. The music, food, people and just the overall energy of the entire festival was so much fun. I have yet to go to Rolling Loud, but it is definitely on my bucket list,” said sophomore Stephanie Zustovich.
Other groups that are preforming live this year are rock band The Strokes, pop-punk band Wallows and mid 2000’s boy band Big Time Rush.
Big Time Rush will be having two reunion shows, previously cancelled due to Covid, in December. The first show is at the Chicago Theater in Illinois on Dec. 15, and the second is at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Dec. 18.
“As a 2000’s kid, it makes me giddy to see BTR perform one more time. All of these upcoming shows are so exciting and to have concerts live again is a relief,” said DiProfio.
